India And Other Popular Tourist Destination Tourism Essay
In India and tourism countries throughout the world, the main aim traditionally had been towards making the destination appealing to the mass audience. Mass tourism markets had remained fundamental towards the growth of India’s tourism industry, diversity in tourism experiences and increased competition between varied destinations has fuelled towards the need of targeting special interest visitors.
Tourists will increasingly seek products that will fulfill their particular tourist needs. Accordingly, many visitors are attracted towards the country mainly for customized special experiences, like education, business or sports experiences. The special interests visitors are referred as niche markets by their tourism departments and agencies.
Typically, niche market is considered as a small, yet profitable, group of customers. The bottom-up approach, and the needs of niche market are primarily identified and experiences meeting their specific needs are developed. This approach enables India to capitalize on the tourism competitive advantages that the country has in tourism marketplace, allows to attract high yielding tourists, and promotes the growth and diversification in the country’s tourism industry.
Special interest tourism has recently become a high growth area within travel industry. Although, the number of special tourism remained a small percentage of the total international visitors, the high growth rate and confluent character of special interest tourism sector has attracted varied commercial attention. Despite of the fact that there is increased commercialization and international scope of research on special interest tourism, many countries have systematically invigilated the global and business organization of the special interest tourism industry.
Competition for people’s time is increasing day by day, recreation and leisure time activities away from home (like tourism) must be completed needs to be completed for the limited time of other home based recreational and leisure time activities. Longer working hours and increasing work pressures are promoting increasing focus on the value of recreational and leisure time. Thirty percent of working Indians don’t have a working holiday. The result of this is that the short-term break holidays have become a norm in the country.
Table of contents
Executive Summary 1
Introduction 3
Special Interest Tourism 3
Rationale 4
Range of Products and Services 5
Management of Trips 9
Conclusion 11
References 12
Introduction
In India and tourism countries throughout the world, the main aim traditionally had been towards making the destination appealing to the mass audience. Mass tourism markets had remained fundamental towards the growth of India’s tourism industry, diversity in tourism experiences and increased competition between varied destinations has fuelled towards the need of targeting special interest visitors.
Tourists will increasingly seek products that will fulfill their particular tourist needs. Accordingly, many visitors are attracted towards the country mainly for customized special experiences, like education, business or sports experiences. The special interests visitors are referred as niche markets by their tourism departments and agencies.
Typically, niche market is considered as a small, yet profitable, group of customers. The bottom-up approach, and the needs of niche market are primarily identified and experiences meeting their specific needs are developed. This approach enables India to capitalize on the tourism competitive advantages that the country has in tourism marketplace, allows to attract high yielding tourists, and promotes the growth and diversification in the country’s tourism industry.
Special Interest Tourism
Within the tourism industry, special interest tourism is considered to be the fastest growing area worldwide. It comprises mainly of diverse groups of tourism activities that stands distinct from the different traditional tourism products, suggesting how tourists are beginning to demand stimulating and varied holiday experiences. The special interest tourism today has become a niche market for any country’s tourism industry.
Typically, niche market is considered as a small, yet profitable, group of customers. The bottom-up approach, and the needs of niche market are primarily identified and experiences meeting their specific needs are developed. This approach enables India to capitalize on the tourism competitive advantages that the country has in tourism marketplace, allows to attract high yielding tourists, and promotes the growth and diversification in the country’s tourism industry.
Special interest tourism has recently become a high growth area within travel industry. Although, the number of special tourism remained a small percentage of the total international visitors, the high growth rate and confluent character of special interest tourism sector has attracted varied commercial attention. Despite of the fact that there is increased commercialization and international scope of research on special interest tourism, many countries have systematically invigilated the global and business organization of the special interest tourism industry.
Rationale
From the strategic perspective, the best niche markets that are best to focus are:
The characteristics and qualities in the city are aligned to the needs of targeted niche market
The targeted city should have a competitive advantage over the other cities and globally pertaining to the quality and quantity of expertise and services and hard infrastructure like equipments and facilities that can be provided;
The target should represent an emerging market;
The barriers to growth in the target should be limited and manageable;
The strategic perspective should reflect the strategic direction of the target as a whole
The analysis of the country revealed 7 niche markets meeting the above criteria.
Sports Tourism
Business Tourism
Study Tourism
Event Tourism
Heath tourism
Youth culture tourism
Marine tourism
The anticipated outcomes in development of these niche markets include:
Enhanced awareness of elements of Indian lifestyle;
Investment promotion in tourism products and infrastructure
Building the profile and capability of Indian industries to assist in the booming economy
Creation of multi-dimensional image if the country as the place of visit, working and doing business.
Competition for people’s time is increasing day by day, recreation and leisure time activities away from home (like tourism) must be completed needs to be completed for the limited time of other home based recreational and leisure time activities. Longer working hours and increasing work pressures are promoting increasing focus on the value of recreational and leisure time. Thirty percent of working Indians don’t have a working holiday. The result of this is that the short-term break holidays have become a norm in the country. Also, at the same time, India has a growing movement towards leisure and home-related recreation, particularly in home renovation and improvements. The activities have often resulted in investment in oneself.
Range of Products and Services
The development of the targeted tourism products to attract niche markets to India represents an excellent opportunity to move ahead of leisure and recreation along with investing in one self by visiting various places in India. This investment could be:
Towards learning something new and to gain knowledge and education
Towards enriching physical, psychological and spiritual health
Towards building better businesses, networks and social relationships
Towards enhancing the social status
Towards improving the sense of identity
The investments should be integrated into strategic planning of the developments of all the niche markets.
The range of products for the special interest tourism products and services could be:
Sports Tourism: The convergence of tourists’ endeavors with sporting pursuits has provoked an increasing interest, understanding and recognition of the market. There has been an emergence of niche market referred to as sport tourism. The three principal types of sport tourism include:
Active Sport Tourism: People actively participating in the sporting experience as a tourist.
Event Sport Tourists: Tourists who attend the event as a spectator, and
Nostalgic Sport Tourist: Tourists who visit the country to pay homage to sports. (E.g. hall of fame).
The niche market of sport tourism needs to concentrate on active sport tourism. Given that India does not have advantage in nostalgic sport tourist market, event sport tourist needs to be incorporated in overall development of niche event tourism. The events like commonwealth games in India are another attraction towards sports tourisms. Also, there are traditional sports events in the country like events in the festivals and various cricketing events that could attract tourism in the country.
Few cities in the country also provide for adventure tourism with excellent climate and landscape. The experience seek by adventure tourists involve significant amount of risks. Some of the products of adventure tourism include:
Hot-air ballooning
Wave Surfing, wind surfing and kite surfing
Snorkeling along with scuba diving
Performance diving along with four-wheel driving
Deep sea fishing
Rock climbing
River rafting
Mountain bike riding
Horse riding, and
Bungee jumping
Business Tourism: India has become emerging market in the convention and international business. India is among the top 10 countries holding meetings, conferencing including business travels, incentive and meeting event.
Historically the global business tourism in India focused on the domestic markets. But as the Indian economy is growing at a very fast rate more than many other developing countries in the world, it has become a market of business tourism hub. With enormous amount of multinational companies gaining market share in India, the business tourism in India has increased manifold in past few years. The development of the country’s global tourism and the opening of Indian convention and exhibition centers are representing a high opportunity towards adding another dimension to the country’s image. The developments in business tourism have significant impact on the country’s economic base. Foreign companies like Microsoft, IBM, HP and many more hold their business meetings in India and these meeting become the part of their business trips and tourism.
Study Tourism: India is the country of IIT’s and IIM’s and many more renowned universities providing significant courses and degrees. Study tourism has also seen rise in the country in the past few years. The country offers ideal environment for studying with quality education providers, natural assets and attractions, hospitable community, safe environment and warm climate along with world-class infrastructure and support services.
Study tourism means travelling for undertaking some university course, or a recreational course. The country boosts various technology and management colleges that are world renowned like Indian Institute of technology and Indian institute of management. With the advent of foreign universities in the country the amount of study tourists are increasing in the country.
Event Tourism: In the past one decade the profile of event tourism has escalated in the country. In India particular attention is give towards optimization of economic benefits of these events for the different communities. There are three types of events happening in the country. First are the Mega events, second the hall mark events and thirdly the community-based events. Different festive events within the country add to the event tourism within the country. Community events have continued to play an important role in country’s event calendars for the local residents. The development of mega events in the country and its strategies does not fit in the infrastructural profile of the country at the time the strategy is written. Few cities in the country also provide for adventure tourism with excellent climate and landscape. The experience seek by adventure tourists involve significant amount of risks.
Health tourism: Travelling for health is the fastest growing sector in the tourism industry. This market include travel to:
An environment or place or climate where tourists can make the most out of health benefits.
The place where tourists can revitalize their mind and body
The place where tourists can relax and unwind
The place where the tourists can utilize their health infrastructure and various services available for some specific medical reason.
As the list has indicated that the visitors need not to be necessarily ill for being health and wellness tourists. Most people travelling for health reasons also seek self-improvements and
Youth culture tourism: Youth cultures are highly prevalent in the Indian states. Various festivals in the country include the youth events including other cultural events. from its fun to the annual pilgrimage of the country’s youth, India has a strong association with every culture. Within the overall Indian market, the country is full of youth population studying in different schools, colleges and universities. The youth culture tourism market represents numerous opportunities for India as the major place of celebrating popular events. In India particular attention is give towards optimization of economic benefits of these events for the different communities. There are three types of events happening in the country. First are the Mega events, second the hall mark events and thirdly the community-based events. Different festive events within the country add to the event tourism within the country. Community events have continued to play an important role in country’s event calendars for the local residents.
Marine Tourism: Indian has various coastal areas like Mumbai, Goa, Chennai, which are added attractions toward marine tourism. The Indian council has been active in promotion of India as a marine tourist destination. The infrastructural requirements in the country are improving for attracting Super Yacht owners and builders in the costal areas. The niche market of sport tourism needs to concentrate on active sport tourism. Given that India does not have advantage in nostalgic sport tourist market, event sport tourist needs to be incorporated in overall development of niche event tourism. The events like commonwealth games in India are another attraction towards sports tourisms. Also, there are traditional sports events in the country like events in the festivals and various cricketing events that could attract tourism in the country.
Management of Trips
Within the tourism industry, special interest tourism is considered to be the fastest growing area worldwide. It comprises mainly of diverse groups of tourism activities that stands distinct from the different traditional tourism products, suggesting how tourists are beginning to demand stimulating and varied holiday experiences. The special interest tourism today has become a niche market for any country’s tourism industry.
Tourists will increasingly seek products that will fulfill their particular tourist needs. Accordingly, many visitors are attracted towards the country mainly for customized special experiences, like education, business or sports experiences. The special interests visitors are referred as niche markets by their tourism departments and agencies. The convergence of tourists’ endeavors with sporting pursuits has provoked an increasing interest, understanding and recognition of the market. There has been an emergence of niche market referred to as sport tourism.
Different tour Packages for the tourists
Trip To Andaman Islands:
Trip to Darjeeling and Gangtok
Trip to Sunder bans
Trip to Ladakh
Trip to Kashmir
Trip to Rajasthan
Trip to Kerela
Trip to Assam including Sikkim, Manipur and Mizoram
Management of Trips: The management has to make some policies for the management of the trips including the following:
All payments should be taken in advance
Hotel for accommodation should have check-out time as 7:00 am as this will save another day rent for the company.
Rates should be changed in case of any changes in transport and hotel and increase in government taxes.
Limitations should be made on free baggage allowed during the trip
Company should reserve the right of rescheduling the trip, sequence of activities including sightseeing.
Company should provide holiday insurance to its customers at minimal extra costs.
Company should make appropriate policy towards the trip cancellation fee along with the number of days for each penalty of cancellation.
Conclusion
The development of the targeted tourism products to attract niche markets to India represents an excellent opportunity to move ahead of leisure and recreation along with investing in one self by visiting various places in India.
The mixture of different products and service will attract more special interest tourism into the country.
