TOURISM:A OVERVIEW

Tourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people "traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes". Tourism has become a popular global leisure activity. In 2010, there were over 940 million international tourist arrivals, with a growth of 6.6% as compared to 2009. International tourism receipts grew to US$919 billion (euro 693 billion) in 2010, corresponding to an increase in real terms of 4.7%. As a result of the late-2000s recession, international travel demand suffered a strong slowdown beginning in June 2008, with growth in international tourism arrivals worldwide falling to 2% during the boreal summer months.[3] This negative trend intensified during 2009, exacerbated in some countries due to the outbreak of the H1N1 influenza virus, resulting in a worldwide decline of 4% in 2009 to 880 million international tourists arrivals, and an estimated 6% decline in international tourism receipts. Tourism is important and in some cases vital for many countries, such as France, Egypt, Greece, Lebanon, Israel, United States, United Kingdom, Spain, Italy,and Thailand, and many island nations, such as The Bahamas, Fiji, Maldives, Philippines and the Seychelles: it brings in large amounts of income in payment for goods and services and creates opportunities for employment in the service industries associated with tourism. These service industries include transportation services, such as airlines, cruise ships and taxicabs; hospitality services, such as accommodations, including hotels and resorts; and entertainment venues,

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such as amusement parks, casinos, shopping malls, music venues and theatres. Tourist - Is a temporary visitor staying for a period of at least 24hours in the country visited and the purpose of whose journey can be classified under one of the following heads: Leisure (recreation, holiday, health, study, religion and sport). Business, family, mission, meeting.

WTO Forecast for Tourist Arrivals

TYPES OF TOURISM For the past few decades many forms of tourism are becoming more popular, particularly:

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 ADVENTURE TOURISM Adventure travel is a type of tourism, involving exploration or travel to remote, exotic and possibly hostile areas. Adventure tourism is rapidly growing in popularity, as tourists seek different kinds of vacations. According to the U.S. based Adventure Travel Trade Association, adventure travel may be any tourist activity, including two of the following three components: a physical activity, a cultural exchange or interaction and engagement with nature. CULTURAL TOURISM Cultural tourism (or culture tourism) is the subset of tourism concerned with a country or region's culture, specifically the lifestyle of the people in those geographical areas, the history of those peoples, their art, architecture, religion(s), and other elements that helped shape their way of life. Cultural tourism includes tourism in urban areas, particularly historic or large cities and their cultural facilities such as museums and theatres. It can also include tourism in rural areas showcasing the traditions of indigenous cultural communities (i.e. festivals, rituals), and their values and lifestyle. It is generally agreed that cultural tourists spend substantially more than standard tourists do. This form of tourism is also becoming generally more popular throughout the world, and a recent OECD report has highlighted the role that cultural tourism can play in regional development in different world regions. EDUCATIONAL TOURISM Educational tourism developed, because of the growing popularity of teaching and learning of knowledge and the enhancing of technical competency outside of the classroom environment. In educational ~3~

tourism, the main focus of the tour or leisure activity includes visiting another country to learn about the culture, such as in Student Exchange Programs and Study Tours, or to work and apply skills learned inside the classroom in a different environment, such as in the International Practicum Training Program. Sustainable Tourism "Sustainable tourism is envisaged as leading to management of all resources in such a way that economic, social and aesthetic needs can be fulfilled while maintaining cultural integrity, essential ecological processes, biological diversity and life support systems." MEDICAL TOURISM When there is a significant price difference between countries for a given medical procedure, particularly in Southeast Asia, India, Eastern Europe and where there are different regulatory regimes, in relation to particular medical procedures (e.g. dentistry), traveling to take advantage of the price or regulatory differences is often referred to as "medical tourism". SPORT TOURISM Since the late 1980s, sports tourism has become increasingly popular. Events such as rugby, Olympics, Commonwealth games, Asian Games and football World Cups have enabled specialist travel companies to gain official ticket allocation and then sell them in packages that include flights, hotels and excursions.

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 ECOTOURISM One of the most promising types of tourism all over the world is ecologic tourism. This type of tourism lets people gain power and energy in the course of communicating with nature and watching it. Besides, it stimulates environment protection thus making this type of tourism profitable for local population. Ecotourism, also known as ecological tourism, is responsible travel to fragile, pristine, and usually protected areas that strives to be low impact and (often) small scale. It helps educate the traveler; provides funds for conservation; directly benefits the economic development and political empowerment of local communities; and fosters respect for different cultures and for human rights. Recreational tourism: In the recreational tourism, the tourist spent their leisure hour at the hill stations, sea beaches etc. such type of tourism provides an opportunity to the tourist to get away from day to day humdrum bad refresh their mind and energy. Adjectival tourism Adjectival tourism refers to the numerous niche or specialty travel forms of tourism that have emerged over the years, each with its own adjective. Many of these have come into common use by the tourism industry and academics.Others are emerging concepts that may or may not gain popular usage. Examples of the more common niche tourism markets include:

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Agritourism Culinary tourism Cultural tourism Ecotourism Extreme tourism Geotourism Heritage tourism LGBT tourism

Medical tourism Nautical tourism Pop-culture tourism Religious tourism Slum tourism Space tourism War tourism Wildlife tourism

Creative tourism Creative tourism has existed as a form of cultural tourism, since the early beginnings of tourism itself. Its European roots date back to the time of the Grand Tour, which saw the sons of aristocratic families traveling for the purpose of mostly interactive, educational experiences. More recently, creative tourism has been given its own name by Crispin Raymond and Greg Richards, who as members of the Association for Tourism and Leisure Education (ATLAS), have directed a number of projects for the European Commission, including cultural and crafts tourism, known as sustainable tourism. They have defined "creative tourism" as tourism related to the active participation of travellers in the culture of the host community, through interactive workshops and informal learning experiences.Meanwhile, the concept of creative tourism has been picked up by high-profile organizations such as UNESCO, who through the Creative Cities Network, have endorsed creative tourism as an engaged, authentic experience that promotes an active understanding of the specific cultural features of a place. More recently, creative tourism has gained popularity as a form of cultural tourism, drawing on active participation by travelers in the culture of the host communities they visit. Several countries offer

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examples of this type of tourism development, including the United Kingdom, the Bahamas, Jamaica, Spain, Italy and New Zealand. Dark tourism One emerging area of special interest has been identified by Lennon and Foley (2000) as "dark" tourism. This type of tourism involves visits to "dark" sites, such as battlegrounds, scenes of horrific crimes or acts of genocide, for example: concentration camps. Dark tourism remains a small niche market, driven by varied motivations, such as mourning, remembrance, education, macabre curiosity or even entertainment. Its early origins are rooted in fairgrounds and medieval fairs. Doom tourism Also known as "Tourism of Doom," or "Last Chance Tourism" this emerging trend involves traveling to places that are environmentally or otherwise threatened (the ice caps of Mount Kilimanjaro, the melting glaciers of Patagonia, The coral of the Great Barrier Reef) before it is too late. Identified by travel trade magazine TravelAge West editor-in-chief Kenneth Shapiro in 2007 and later explored in The New York Times, this type of tourism is believed to be on the rise. Some see the trend as related to sustainable tourism or ecotourism due to the fact that a number of these tourist destinations are considered threatened by environmental factors such as global warming, over population or climate change. Others worry that travel to many of these threatened locations increases an individuals carbon footprint and only hastens problems threatened locations are already facing.

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 Niche tourism: Physical activity or sports oriented niche tourism includes adventure tourism such as mountaineering and hiking (tramping); Backpacker Tourism; Sport travel to do skiing, golf and scuba dri9ving or see a sports event (e.g., FIFA World Cup); and extreme tourism for people interested in risky activities. Learning-oriented niche tourism includes audio tourism and audio walking tours; bookstore tourism, in which travelers visit independent bookstores; creative tourism workshops; educational tourism for classes; ancestry tourism, to visit birth places; hobby tourism (such as garden tours, amateur radio DX-peditions, or square dance cruises) The cultural sub-type of learning-oriented niche tourism focuses on cultural and arts activities, including cultural tourism, music tourism, and heritage tourism. The nature and environment-oriented sub-types include Coastal Tourism; Ecotourism (e.g. sustainable tourism in Rainforests or national parks); Garden tourism; and Rural Tourism such as Agritourism.Lifestyleoriented niche tourism include Gay tourism; Gourmet tourism; Wine tourism; Health tourism; Medical tourism; Inclusive tourism (or Accessible Tourism) for people with disabilities; Mystical (e.g., involving Meditation, yoga, and rituals).

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World Tourism Organization

The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), based in Madrid, Spain, is a United Nations agency dealing with questions relating to tourism. It compiles the World Tourism rankings.The World Tourism Organization is a significant global body, concerned with the collection and collation of statistical information on international tourism. This organization represents public sector tourism bodies, from most countries in the world and the publication of its data makes possible comparisons of the flow and growth of tourism on a global scale. It is a member of the United Nations Development Group. The official languages of UNWTO are Arabic, English French, Russian, and Spanish. Members As of 2010, its membership included 154 member states, seven associate members (Flemish Community, Puerto Rico, Aruba, Hong Kong, Macau, Madeira, Netherlands Antilles), two observers (Holy See, Palestine). 15 of these members have withdrawn from the organization for different periods in the past: Australia, Bahamas, Bahrain, Canada, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Honduras, Kuwait, Malaysia, Nicaragua, Panama, Philippines, Qatar, Thailand and Puerto Rico. Non-members are: Suriname, Guyana, United States, Belize, Trinidad and Tobago, Dominica, Grenada, Barbados, Antigua and Barbuda, Saint Lucia, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Liberia, Somalia, Comoros, Ireland, Iceland, United Kingdom, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Belgium, Luxembourg, Liechtenstein, Estonia, United Arab Emirates, Myanmar, Singapore, New Zealand, Palau, Micronesia, Marshall Islands, Cook Islands, Tuvalu, Nauru, Niue, Kiribati, Solomon Islands, Samoa, Tonga and the rest of states with limited recognition. ~9~

Additionally there are some 350 affiliate members, representing the private sector, educational institutions, tourism associations and local tourism authorities. The frequent confusion between the two WTOs World Tourism Organization and the Geneva-based World Trade Organization officially ended on 1 December 2005, when the General Assembly approved to add the letters UN (for United Nations) to the start of abbreviation of the leading international tourism body in English and in Russian. UNWTO abbreviation remains OMT in French and Spanish. UNWTO General Assembly concluded its work at its 16th session in Dakar, Senegal, on 2 December 2005. Secretaries-General of UNWTO 19751985 Robert Lonati (France) 19861989 Willibald Pahr (Austria) 19901996 Antonio Enriquez Savignac (Mexico) 19982009 Francesco Frangialli (France) 2010present Taleb Rifai (Jordan)

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Tourism and Tourism Industry in India

India is one of the popular tourist destinations Asia. Bounded by the Himalayan ranges in the north, and surrounded on three sides by water( the Arabian Sea, Bay of Bengal, and the Indian Ocean), with a long history and diverse culture, India offers a wide array of places to see and things to do. In 2004, foreign tourists visiting India spent US$ 15.4 billion- the world India is also ranked among the top 3 adventure tourism destinations. The Travel and Tourism industry holds tremendous potential for Indias economy. It can provide impetus to other industries create millions of new jobs and generate enough wealth to help pay off the international debt. That is why we have included Tourism amongst the Core Sectors of the Indian Economy. Tourism is now well recognized as a major growth engine. Several countries have transformed their economies by developing their tourism potential. Tourism has great capacity to create large-scale employmentfrom the most specialized to the unskilled. The Indian economy is undergoing a major transformation. With an annual growth of eight percent, India has become the second most favored destination for foreign direct investment. As an economic activity in the service sector, tourism also has enormous potential for contributing to economic growth. Tourism has the potential to change the economic face of a region. Promotion of tourism would bring many direct and indirect benefits to the people. Some of the direct benefits accruing to the local community of a region as a result of tourism development are:

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 Employment opportunities in tourism and hospitality sector Development of private enterprise Improved standard of living Social upliftment and improved quality of life Better education and training Sustainable environmental practices Foreign exchange earning Some of the indirect benefits accruing to the local community of a region as a result of tourism development are: Infrastructure development-power, water, sanitation, hospitals, roads, etc. Market for local produce Employment in infrastructure sector Economic upliftment due to income multiplier effect.

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 Tourism in India is the largest service industry, with a contribution of 6.23% to the national GDP and 8.78% of the total employment in India. India witnesses more than 17.9 million annual foreign tourist arrivals and 740 million domestic tourism visits. The tourism industry in India generated about 100 US$ billion in 2008 and that is expected to increase to US$275.5 billion by 2018 at a 9.4% annual growth rate.[1] In the year 2010, 17.9 million foreign tourists visited India. Majority of foreign tourists come from USA and UK. Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan are the top 5 states to receive inbound tourists.[2] Domestic tourism in the same year was massive at 740 million. Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra received the big share of these visitors.[3][4] Ministry of Tourism is the nodal agency to formulate national policies and programmes for the development and promotion of tourism. In the process, the Ministry consults and collaborates with other stakeholders in the sector including various Central Ministries/agencies, the State Governments/ union Territories and the representatives of the private sector. Concerted efforts are being made to promote new forms of tourism such as rural, cruise, medical and ecotourism. The Ministry of Tourism is the nodal agency for the development and promotion of tourism in India and maintains the Incredible India campaign.

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According to World Travel and Tourism Council, India will be a tourism hotspot from 20092018, having the highest 10-year growth potential. The Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Report 2007 ranked tourism in India 6th in terms of price competitiveness and 39th in terms of safety and security. Despite short- and medium-term setbacks, such as shortage of hotel rooms, tourism revenues are expected to surge by 42% from 2007 to 2017. India's 5,000 years of history, its length, breadth and the variety of geographic features make its tourism basket large and varied. It presents heritage and cultural tourism along with medical, business and sports tourism. India has a growing medical tourism sector. The 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi were expected to significantly boost tourism in India. The Indian tourism industry can be attributed to several factors. Firstly, the tremendous growth of Indian economy has resulted in more disposable income in the hands of middle class, thereby prompting increasingly large number of people to spend money on vacations abroad or at home. Secondly, India is a booming IT hub and more and more people are coming to India on business trips. Thirdly, aggressive advertising campaign "Incredible India" by Tourism Ministry has played a major role in changing the image of India from that of the land of snake charmers to a hot and happening place and has sparked renewed interest among foreign travelers.

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Personal travel and tourism is the most significant contributor, accounting for 55% of the total market, while business travel forms only 9%. Capital investment is also significant with a share of 24%. Hotels, air transport, surface transport, basic infrastructure, ~ 15 ~ and facilitation systems

environment

are

some

of

the

related

sectors.

Travel & tourism industry's contribution to Indian industry is immense. Tourism is one of the main foreign exchange earners and contributes to the economy indirectly through its linkages with other sectors like horticulture, agriculture, poultry, handicrafts and construction. Tourism industry also provides employment to millions of people in India both directly and indirectly through its linkage with other sectors of the economy. According to an estimate total direct employment in the tourism sector is around 20 million. Travel & tourism industry in India is marked by considerable government presence. Each state has a tourism corporation, which runs a chain of hotels/ guest houses and operates package tours, while the central government runs the India Tourism Development Corporation. Domestic tourism Domestic travelers recorded an all-time high of 650 million during 2009, 15.5% higher than the previous year. After rising 18% and 14% respectively in 2006 and 2007, rise in domestic travel slowed down to 6.9% during 2008. The increase in 2009 reflects recovery in sentiment in the later part of the year and preference for domestic visits over international visits. Although the Indian economy was not as severely affected by the economic slowdown as other economies, Indian consumers are cautious and are either postponing their travel plans or opting for shorter duration holidays and travelling within the country. Indians travel within India mainly for pilgrimage/religious reasons, leisure, visiting families/friends and business

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Outbound tourism The trend observed in outbound tourism during 2009 was no different from that seen in inbound and domestic tourism. Number of outbound visits grew a marginal 1.8% to 11.1 million during 2009. After growing 15-17% during 2004-2007, outbound visits slowed down to 11.1% in 2008. A booming economy, higher disposable incomes, higher aspirations, cheaper international travel, and better tourism products boosted outbound tourist flow. Major tourist circuits of India India has several tourist destinations spread across the length and breadth of the country. However, given the distance between various destinations, tourist circuits have been created considering the needs, choices of tourists as well as convenience. Some major tourist circuits are shown in the table

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Role of Information Technology in Tourism

The importance of information technology in tourism, especially of the World Wide Web, has increased tremendously over the past years and this trend will certainly continue. However, since the technology itself is now available to almost everyone, its use alone does not necessarily bring a competitive advantage anymore. The integration of IT into the organizational fabric of the destination marketing organization (DMO) is an important key to success. Integration means that technology, advertising strategy and overall organizational mission/goals are coordinated to achieve the desired effectiveness. Traditional advertising strategies should be reconfigured to reflect the new realities (i.e., availability, interactivity, and research capabilities) of Internet technologies and of the rapidly changing business environment.

It is difficult for most destination marketing organizations to keep pace with the evolution of new technologies, the emergence of innovative advertising strategies, the changes in the consumer market, and the growing competition due to increasing globalization. They often have to struggle with limited financial and human resources, a lack of technological expertise, and time constraints.

Accordingly, various high tech information and communication technologies are in use in the tourism sector around the world. They are used for tourism product development, marketing, distribution and training of tourism sector personnel. These technologies are so indispensable in order to find out and satisfy the ever-changing demands for tourism products. ~ 19 ~

One of the unique characteristics of tourism products is the need of the role played by the so- called travel intermediaries. These travel intermediaries are travel agents, tour operators, conference organizers booking agents etc. They are so important because of the nature of the tourism product, perishablity and intangibility.

These travel agencies are performing this indispensable task of being intermediary by the use of computers and computer reservation systems (CRS). GDSs are systems, which distribute reservation, and information services to sales outlets around the world. Unlike the CRSs used solely by an airline or hotel chain, GDS distribute more than one CRS to users who are usually travel agents. GDSs were formed Facilitation is one important aspect of enhancing tourism business. Facilitation includes, issuing of visa, customs clearing and immigration check in ports. Lack of appropriate management in giving fast and efficient service to tourists in this area will deter the tourist flow substantially. Recently, development has come about in using electronic. Though there are many definitions for tourism, it could be simply defined as a travel and stay of a non-resident. In order to travel to a particular area there must be a reason. For example a person may travel for leisure, business, visiting friends and relatives, health,

education etc. He/she chooses a destination for one or the other reason. Transport is necessary to travel and accommodation to stay at the destination. So, tourism as an industry has three major components: Attraction, Accommodation and Transport. In the developed world, today, all these components have reached at their zenith in satisfying their customers needs aided ~ 20 ~ by modern technology. These

components have also came a long way to offer a range of products

which suit the needs of multitude tourists around the world, and are still working hard to cater to an ever changing test of them.

Tourism is ranking the

top ahead of

all other categories of

international trade. This growth of tourism activity clearly marks tourism as one of the most remarkable economic and social phenomena in the world. 1. The Tourism Industry Components and Requirements of the Tourists As indicated above the tourism industry is made up of three major components: namely, (i) Attraction sector which comprises manmade and natural attractions which are developed to satisfy visitors educational,

recreational, needs etc.

aesthetic

(ii) Advertising sector, which includes advertising through mass media and the Internet. (iii) Accommodation sector, all types of establishments that offers lodging to visitors (Hotel, Motel, Guest houses, caravans etc.) (iv) Transport transport. sector, which includes air, water and surface

1.1 Attraction Sector

In the case of attractions both manmade and natural attraction owners need to communicate or inform their customers and potential

customers about their production. Information about the kind of attraction, where they are located and how to get there is of vital importance. The attraction owners particularly the national tourist ~ 21 ~

offices discharge their duty of promoting

their

countrys

tourist

attractions using the information technology products. Information through promotional videos, Internet web Sites, television

advertisements and travel documentaries are the main information dissemination tools.

1.2 Accommodation Sector

In the accommodation sector also the contribution of information technology is prominent. Any individual or group wishing to travel to any part of the world now has an easy access to the accommodation service providers. A visitor can access information about the kind of hotels at the destination, their ranges of product, the price and other relevant information without leaving his/her office or home. What one has to do is to ring up a travel agency and get the expert advice. This will help any visitor greatly as to where to stay during any kind of away from home. Here the information can be obtained aided by still or moving pictures in order to give an exact feature of an accommodation, facilities and services of ones choice. At a destination also visitors are at ease during their stay in every respect, in getting information about their business, family or other information back home. They are also at ease to relax with the videos and television entertainment programs, which nowadays are part and parcel of many accommodation units.

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1.3 Advertising Sector

Travel and tourism fit especially well with interactive media because they are an information intensive industry where transactions can be made online, and current Web users are heavy users of travel and tourism products and services. Interactive media call for interactive marketing. The essence of interactive marketing is the use of

information from the customer rather than about the customer. It differs from traditional marketing since it is based on a dialogue instead of a one- way communication, and it deals with individual consumers instead of mass markets. According to Parsons, the success factors for marketing on the Web are: 1. Attracting users, 2. Engaging users interest and participation, 3. Retaining users and ensuring they return, 4. Learning about user preferences, and 5. Relating back to users to provide customized interactions

1.4 Transport Sector

Transport provides the essential link between tourism origin destination areas

and

and facilitates the movement of holidaymakers,

business travelers, people visiting friends and relatives and those undertaking educational and health tourism. Before setting out on a journey of any kind, every traveler makes sure which Transport Company has a good safety record. To this effect, airplanes coaches

and even taxis are equipped with good communication equipment. An Airplane flies with the help of modern equipment, which provides information ~ 23 ~ information technology ranging from weather,

altitude and other information to the pilot to communication made during emergency by the pilot with other airplanes and air traffic control stations. In-flight entertainment is also a product of information technology, video games, communication ensures the safety of

tourists. Fast and easy information flow is of paramount importance to build confidence in the traveling public. In recent years, the confidence built due to the use of modern IT has been demonstrated by a tremendous increase in the number of travelers worldwide. 2. New and Innovative Technologies

To this effect, airplanes coaches and even taxis are equipped with good communication equipment. An Airplane flies with the help of modern information technology equipment, which provides information

ranging from weather, altitude and other information to the pilot to communication made during emergency by the pilot with other airplanes and air traffic control stations. In-flight entertainment is also a product of information technology, video games, video films are examples. In the case of buses/coaches and taxis, in many countries with developed tourism business, they are equipped with radio communication systems for various uses. For example, the driver or the tour guide updates the Tour Company headquarters about the progress of the tour throughout the touring period.

2.1 Collaborative Filtering

Collaborative filtering is a data mining type of software. This type of application uses the power of customer databases to identify customers who have similar profiles like preferences, interests, and travel patterns, etc. based on previously accumulated customer knowledge. The findings ~ 24 ~

are used

for direct

marketing. and

Great

examples today are Personalization

Amazon.com,

Barnes&Noble

SkyMall.

Software/Profiling. Personalization software is also a form of data mining. This software rests on the belief that people live busy lives and want other people to look after their needs. This type of software tracks and monitors the preferences and purchasing behaviors of consumers. Thus, it can customize products/services based on needs and preferences and perform direct marketing accordingly.

2.3 Knowledge-Based Software

This software is based on the belief that people want more choices but they just do not want to be burdened with those choices. This type of software takes criteria set by customers and goes into digital databases. It then gets available choices for the customers. This type of software not only automatically finds information for customers but also

narrows down the choices and lets customers find the best deal. The emergence of this type of software may challenge the services and products of intermediaries and DMOs.

2.4 Electronic payment

This type of software enables electronic transactions.

It has five

significant impacts on business operations. These impacts are: 1. It simplifies a very complex buying- payment process that leads to a bypassing of intermediaries, 2. It assists in monitoring/tracking causal relationships to

understand the relationship between the effect of ads and purchase patterns ~ 25 ~

3.

It facilitates the efforts required for niche marketing and narrow casting,

4. It lowers the entry barriers into the tourism increases competition, and 5.

industry

and

It augments the competitive capability of small organizations to expand their business.

2.5 Video Conferencing

Video conferencing is the type of software that allows people to communicate with each other visually, regardless of their physical location. It helps geographically dispersed businesses to cooperate. That may reduce the need for business travel. However, this technology is still in an infant stage and communications are difficult because certain clues are missing.

2.6 Virtual Reality and Web Casting

Virtual

reality

displays

three-dimensional worlds. Web casting

provides online live videos and events. Two things could happen: One is the loss of intrigue. Intrigue is one of the reasons that motivate people to travel. If people can go on the Internet and experience cyberspace vacations, they may lose their motivation to visit that place in the real world. The other thing is the balance between advertisement and reality. If people obtain an accurate view of the destination before they visit it, they are going to have really well formulated expectations of what they will see at their travel destination. ~ 26 ~

2.7 CRS (Computer Reservation System)

The airline CRS systems were the pioneers of computer applications in the 1950s and are now virtually indispensable to airlines because they enable their revenue streams to be maximized by efficient inventory control (an inventory in this context refers to an airlines stock of passenger seats that is available for sale). However, these days, hotel and car hiring companies by renting the service from the airline companies are also employed these systems. The technology works by using computers of special kind and leased telephone lines. The travel agent is connected on line to the central host computer system or CRS. The host computer is almost always a mainframe with massive database attached. The mainframe host polls each travel agent terminal every second or so, to see if it has any messages to send. In this system it is possible that airliners, Hotels and car rental companies can talk to the travel agent and vise versa. This system contributes to a great extent in increasing sales volume and giving precise information on the availability and selling the products efficiently ensuring substantial profit gain.

2.8 Knowledge-based systems

Knowledge is the key resource for DMOs because they are not really in the tourism business; they are in the business of shifting information and knowledge. Knowledge-based systems facilitate the acquisition of knowledge and encourage learning. Besides learning, they foster information creation/storage/management, interaction, and

knowledge sharing. The question is how to build a system that ~ 27 ~

effectively incorporates available technologies. AskDan, a knowledgebased system developed by the National Laboratory for Tourism and eCommerce, is a framework that intends to change knowledge management. It consists of five components: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Market intelligence, Data warehouse, Knowledge tool box, Knowledge builder (online research reports/documents), and Community builder. organizational

The nature and speed of change represents new challenges for DMOs. Knowledge-based systems help competitive capabilities in this dynamic environment. them in increasing their

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OBJECTIVE AND SCOPE OF THE STUDY

The objectives of the project determine whom we will survey and what we will ask them. If our goals are unclear, the results will probably be unclear. Objectives are the keys to proceed forward in any research. The area of our research is to study tourism overview in India,how they operate by a travel agency , how the tourism activities are promoted by travel agency etc. OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY: 1) To study about the working of Travel Agencies in INDIA. 2) To study the level of operations in Travel Agency. 3) To study marketing and promotion strategies adopted by Travel agencies. 4) To study role and contribution of Govt in development of Tourism. 5) To analyses issues in tourism marketing in India 6) To study the role of information technology in development of Tourism in India 7) To identify potential strategies that can contribute to increasing the competitiveness of Indian tourism.

LIMITATION OF THE STUDY: The study has been made on a sample and hence it may not be very representative in nature.

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METHODOLOGY
Research methodology is the core of any research. Research methodology is a way to systematically solve the research problem. It may be understood as a science of studying how the research is done scientifically. In tourism research, there are commonly agreed-upon elements that must be accounted for by the methodology in order for the research to be taken seriously. In the end, though, every tourism research project has its own unique methodology, as defined by the party overseeing the research. This article introduces the most basic points that a good tourism research methodology covers and it covers communication skills too. The first element of a tourism research methodology is the working definition of the scope and objective of the research. DATA COLLECTION Two main sources of collecting the data have been used for the conduct of the research-primary and the secondary source PRIMARY DATA: A questionnaire was prepared for getting the view of tourism activities and their promotion in INDIA. For this Tours & Travel Agencies were visited. SECONDARY DATA: The first step in any study is to analyze the secondary data. Secondary data for this study was collected through Internet, trade journals and ~ 30 ~

business magazines.In this research study the analysis is done on the basis of the primary data collected from the customers through questionnaire and direct personal interview method as well as secondary data collected through internet, and different magazine

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TOURISM MARKETING
Tourism marketing is the systematic and coordinated execution of business policy by either tour operators or tourist organizations to achieve optional satisfaction of needs, wants, demands of identifiable consumer groups and in meeting the demands, to achieve reasonable returns. It is an integrated efforts by tour organizations to optimize the satisfaction of tourist groups and individuals. Data on tourist needs, demand; data on tourist places mostly preferred through marketing research. The tourism marketing communicates the tour content to the tourist through advertising and promotion. Earlier it was mentioned that a product can goals or services. Since tourism is primarily a service based industry the principal products provided by tourism businesses are recreational experiences and hospitality. These are intangible products and are more difficult to market than tangible products such as automobiles. The intangible nature of services makes quality control difficult but crucial. It also makes it more difficult for potential customers to evaluate and compare service offerings. In addition, instead of moving the product to the customer, the customer must travel to the product area/community). Travel is a significant portion of the time and money spent in association with recreational and tourism experiences and is a major factor in peoples decisions on whether or not to visit your business or community.As an industry, tourism has many components comprising the overall travel experience. Along with transportation it includes such things as accommodations, food and beverage services, shops, entertainment, aesthetics and special events. It is rare for one business to provide the variety of activities or facilities tourists need or desire. This adds to the difficulty of maintaining and controlling the quality of the experience. To overcome this hurdle, tourism related businesses, ~ 32 ~

agencies, and organizations need to work together to package and promote tourism opportunities in their areas and align their efforts to assure consistency in product quality. Need of tourism Marketing Gone those days when tourist can accept your tour program, food etc. If a tour organization is practice; it may be survive in 21st century. In fact tourist needs to be understood and accordingly tour to be planned. Thus the marketing is practiced to understand what is the demand by tourist and how to supply it. With such types of process the organization will able to project bright image in tourist world. Significance of tourism marketing: It helps in identifying the tourists behaviors, which in turn helps the organization in getting its objective, also makes possible workable information system, helps in overcoming competitions, simplifies the task of marketing planning, product development, also it eases formulating prices and marketing communicating efforts. In global, nearly 16 countries contribute70% of business France, US, UK, Australia, New Zealand, Germany, Hongkong, Malaysia, Singapore,

China, Switzerland, Thailand, Canada, Greece, Asia. MARKET SEGMENTATION Tourism businesses and communities often make the mistake of attempting to be all things to all people. It is difficult, and risky, to develop marketing strategies for the mass market. Strategies designed for the average customer often results in unappealing products prices and promotional messages. For example, it would be difficult to develop a ~ 33 ~

campground that would be equally attractive to recreational vehicle campers and backpackers or promote a property to serve both snowmobilers and nature oriented cross country skiers. Marketing is strongly based on market segmentation and target marketing. Market segmentation is the process of: (1) taking existing and/or potential customers/visitors(market) and categorizing them into groups with similar preferences referred to as market segments; (2) selection the most promising segments as target markets; and (3) designing marketing mixes or strategies (combination of the 4 Ps), which satisfy the special needs, desires and behavior of the target markets. There is no unique or best way to segment markets, but ways in which customers can be grouped are: (1) location of residence---instate, out-of-state, local; (2) demographics---age, income, family status, education; (3) equipment ownership/use---RVs sailboats canoes tents

snowmobiles; (4) important product attribute---price, quality, quantity; and (5) lifestyle attributes---activities, interests, opinions. To be useful, the segment identification process should result in segments that suggest marketing efforts that will be effective in attracting them and at least one segment large enough to justify specialized marketing efforts.

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After segments have been identified, the business or community must select the target markets those segments which offer them the greatest opportunity. When determining target markets, consideration should be given to: (1) existing and future sales potential of each segment; (2) the amount and strength of competition for each segment; (3) the ability to offer a marketing mix which will be successful in attracting each segment; (4) the cost of servicing each segment; and (5) each segments contribution to accomplishing overall

business/community objectives. It is often wiser to target smaller segments that are presently not being served, or served inadequately, than to go after larger segments for which there is a great deal of competition. MARKETING OBJECTIVES : Marketing objectives which contribute to the accomplishment of overall business objectives should be established for each target market. Objectives serve a number of functions including: (1) guidance for developing marketing mixes for different target markets; (2) information for allocating the marketing budget between target markets; (3) a basis for objectively evaluating the effectiveness of the marketing mixes (setting standards); and ~ 35 ~

(4) a framework for integrating the different marketing mixes into the overall marketing plan. The target market objective should: (1) be expressed in quantitative terms; (2) be measureable; (3) specify the target market; and (4) indicate the time period in which the objective is to be accomplished. For example, increase the number of overnight stays by people from the Chicago market over the next two by five percent. Remember, rank objectives by priority and carefully evaluate them to ensure that they are reasonable given the strength of the competition and resources available for marketing. Product & Service Trends: Hotel rooms, increasing equipped as offices with full-size desks, computers and advanced communications technologies, will minimize the need for business centers. Expansion of Europes high-sped train network will eliminate short haul flights. Hub airport will install capsule-cocoon hotels in terminal facilities. Hotel and restaurant facilities will be designed for an aging population with lower rise steps, more handrails and wider doors. Travel guidebooks will become highly specialized and more frequently consulted-primarily on the web. ~ 36 ~

100% Satisfaction Guaranteed will replace Let the Buyer Beware.

Growth in demand for home food delivery outpace all other food service segments. A new wave of budget conference & exhibition hotels will be built to meet the convention needs of cost conscious companies. Center-city urban resorts will challenge sun, sand & sea vacation villagers in the leisure market. Credit card check-in/check-out, F&B vending machines, self-cleaning bathrooms and self-serve laundries will eliminate most human contact in budget hotels. Luxury resorts that once shunned children will welcome them with an expanded array activities and tailored dining options. Tourism Marketing Trends: The Internet will become the dominant distribution channel for all travel and tourism products eliminating most intermediaries. Understanding customers as people- their likes, dislikes, habits, interest and hobbies- will become critical to establishing competitive advantage in hospitality marketing. Customer retention will replace customer acquisition as travel agencies strategic objective. Homogenization of airlines services will render them commodities while lodging products will continue to focus on differentiation. Print media advertising will move onto the web. Increasingly value-conscious customers will demand more and better product information.

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 Consumers will increasingly expect to negotiate hotel and airline rates Cross-sector strategic alliances between food service lodging, travel and entertainments companies will prove to be effective marketing formats. As marketers increasingly distinguish between loyalty and

satisfaction, frequent use programs will become more elaborate. Hotel revenue management systems will become more sophisticated and be relocated from the reservations department to sales & marketing.

TOURISM MARKETING PLAN: A marketing plan must be supported by extensive, research-based data on markets, consumers and the environment. The plan can only be written once this research has been undertaken. As I have said earlier, you cannot sell a product or service based on your own intuition that people will want it. This is especially true if you require funding from an external source to help you grow your business. Just because you think something will sell doesnt mean that people will buy. This is no defined format for a marketing plan. There are big differences between organizations and these differences have to be reflected in the plan. Firstly, the plan has three major areas that should be considered after gathering your research. 1. Objectives what are you trying to achieve? 2. Strategies how are you going to achieve it? 3. Tactics what are the actions you will undertake to do all this? One of the most important steps a business or community can take to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of their marketing efforts is to ~ 38 ~

develop a written marketing plan. This plan will guide their marketing decisions and assist them in allocating marketing resources such as money and personnel time. The plan should include: The overall business objectives-what they want to accomplish; An assessment of the market environment-what factors may affect their marketing efforts; A business/community profile-what resource are available, Market identification (segmentation)-the specific groups or clientele most interested in their product; The marketing objectives for each segment; The marketing strategies (or mixes)for different markets a travel agency target-the best combination of the 4 Ps (product, price, place, promotion) for each segment; An implementation planhow to make it work; The marketing budget-how much they have to spend; and A method for evaluation and change

The marketing plan serves several purposes. 1. It is a managerial control document which aims to ensure that clear goals and targets have been established in order that the organization does not drift about. 2. It provides a detailed inventory as to how the marketing budget is to be spent andwhy it has been allocated in the ways set out. All sales and revenue targets must be identified and justified. 3. It provides and agreed basis of action that can be circulated to every individualinvolved in its implementation. As a result, it acts as a ~ 39 ~

mechanism for ensuring that everyone is clearly identified with marketing aims. 4. It provides a set of benchmarks against which marketing programs can later beEvaluated and refined for the future. Without explicit targets, evaluation of marketing An effort is impossible.

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MARKETING MIX
A firm takes the support of numerous marketing instruments with regards to its product, pricing, distribution and promotion. The formulation of the mix is vital for its role in helping managers to conceive right ideas regarding the switching on of the marketing action, particularly to raise the acceptability of the product by creating and penetrating demand. The marketing strategy, or mix, should be viewed as a package of offerings designed to attract and serve the customer or visitor. Recreation and tourism businesses and communities should develop both external and internal marketing mixes for different target markets. Framing of the proper marketing mix is significant because it helps the tourist organization in accomplishing the objective and projecting a faire image. (Fig 2.1)

MARKETING MIX
EXTERNAL MIX INTERNAL MIX

PRODUCT PLACE PRICE PROMOTION

HOSPITALITY & GUEST RELATIONS QUALITY CONTROL PRSONAL SELLING EMPLOYEE MORALE

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A) EXTERNAL MIX: The external marketing mix includes product/service, price,

place/location, and promotion.

1. Product : The principal products that recreation and tourism businesses provide are recreational experiences and hospitality. The factors that create a quality recreational experience often differ among people. Decisions on what facilities, programs and services to provide should be based on the needs and desires of the target market(s).

Recognize that a recreational/tourism experience includes five elements: trip planning and anticipation; travel to the site/area; the experience at the site; travel back home; and recollection. Businesses should look for ways to enhance the quality of the overall experience during all phases of the trip. This could be accomplished by providing trip planning packages which include maps, attractions on route and on site, and information regarding lodging, food and quality souvenirs and mementos.

Tourism businesses should also view their service/product in generic terms. Thinking of products/services in this manner helps focus more attention on the experiences desired by customers and also the facilities, programs and services that will produce those experiences. For example, campgrounds are the business of providing recreational lodging not just campsites to park an RV or set up a tent. Marians should provide recreational boating experiences, not just slippage. Tourism Products: ~ 42 ~

 Accommodation: Unclassified One star Four star Five star Destination: Natural Scenes Historical Excellence Artificial Beauties Social Cultural Excellence Transportation: Airways Railways Roadways Waterways Tour operators: Travel companies Travel agents Guides Shopping: Handicrafts Handloom Book ~ 43 ~

2. Place: Too many tourism businesses and communities fail to recognize their role in improving travel to and from their areas. They focus instead on servicing the customer once they arrive at the site/community. A bad experience getting to or leaving a TOURISM site can adversely affect a persons travel experience. Ways to help prevent this include: (1)Providing directions and maps: (2)Providing estimates of travel time and distances from different market areas; (3)Recommending direct and scenic travel routes; (4)Identifying attractions and support facilities along different travel routes; and (5)Informing potential customers of alternative travel methods to the area such as airlines and railroads.

3. Pricing: Price is one of the most important and visible elements of the marketing mix. When setting prices it is important to take into consideration all of the following: (1) business and target market objectives; (2) the full cost of producing, delivering and promoting the product;

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(3) the willingness of the target market to pay for the product or service you provide; (4) prices charged by competitors offering a similar product/service to the same target market(s); (5) the availability and prices of substitute product/services(for example, campgrounds, motels, and bed and breakfast are all substitutes for lodging); (6) the economic climate (local and national);and (7) the possibility of stimulating high profit product/services (such as boats) by offering related services (such as maintenance) at or below cost. When establishing prices, tourism businesses should give attention to pricing strategies which may encourage off season and non-peak period sales, longer stays, group business, and the sale of package (combination of room, meals, and recreational facilities). 4. Promotion: Promotion provides target audiences with accurate and timely information to help them decide whether to visit your community or business. The information should be of importance and practical use to the potential or existing visitor and also accurate. Misrepresentation often leads to dissatisfied customers and poor recommendations. Dont make claims you cannot live up to.

Developing a promotional campaign is not a science with hard and fast rules. Making decisions regarding which type or combination of ~ 45 ~

promotion types to use (personal selling, advertising, sales promotions, or publicity) is not always easy. If, however, you follow a logical process and do the necessary research, chances for success will be improved. It will be necessary to make decisions regarding: (1) Target audience---the group you are aiming at;

(2) Image---that which your community or business wants to create or reinforce;

(3) Objectives---those of the promotional campaign;

(4) Budget---the amount of money available for your promotion;

(5) Timing---when and how often should your promotions appear;

(6) Media---which methods (television, radio, newspaper, magazine) will most effectively and efficiently communicate your message to the target audience; and

(7) Evaluation---how can the effectiveness of the promotional campaign be determined.

5. Process: There are many different types of processes involved in running a tourism business, for example, administration, training, planning, and

strategizing, recruitment, purchasing, distribution and service delivery. It is important to ensure that these processes are planned and carried out

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properly so that operations run smoothly and problems are rectified quickly. For example, a hotel needs a efficient front and back office communications to ensure high quality service and experience without inconvenience for the customer. A great deal of attention needs to be paid to processes in services-oriented businesses. Dealing with staff turnover, sick leave, suppliers and distribution channels all have an impact on how the service is delivered. Implementing clear procedures will ensure that the best possible service is delivered at all times.

6. People: The people who sell the product and service your product are an extremely important part of tourism marketing. Friendly personal service and trained employees can make or break a tourism business. Because much of tourism industry is based upon word of mouth advertising- particularly about the service received- what their customers say after they depart can trust your business forward or send it into a downward spiral. It is extremely important to ensure that all staff dealing with customers carries out excellent service delivery at all times. Staff professionalism can be boosted and grown through solid training and employee reward systems. Service invariably involves front line people and it is here that a tourism offering can really can do well or fail miserably.

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7. Physical Evidence: The physical evidence of a tourism product refers to a range of more tangible attributes of the operations. Tangibalising the product is a good way of giving positive or attractive hints or cues to potential customers with regard to the quality of the product. For example, if you run a shuttle service then it are important to ensure that your vehicles are spotlessly clean at all times. Elements such as quality and attractiveness of decor, effective layout of establishment, surroundings and quality of promotional material are all important. B) INTERNAL MIX: As stated, marketing services such as recreation and tourism differ from marketing tangible products. Recreation and tourism businesses must direct as much attention at marketing to customers on site as they do not attracting them. In this respect, internal marketing is important.The success of internal marketing is dependent on creating an atmosphere in which employees desire to give good service and sell the

business/community to visitors. To create such an atmosphere requires the following four important elements: (1) Hospitality and Guest Relations:An organization wide emphasis on hospitality and guest relations, including a customer oriented attitude on the part of the owners and managers as well as the employees. If the owner/manager is not customer sensitive, it is unlikely the lower paid employees will be.

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(2) Quality Control:A program which focuses on improving both the technical quality and the functional quality. All employees who come into contact with customers should receive hospitality training. (3) Personal Selling:Training the staff in the selling aspects of the business or community. This also includes rewarding them for their efforts. By being informed about the marketing objectives, and their role in accomplishing those objectives, they can help increase sales. (4) Employee Morale:Programs and incentives aimed at maintaining employee morale. The incentives can be both monetary and non-monetary. A customer oriented atmosphere usually results in customers that are more satisfied, do less complaining and are more pleasant to serve. This helps build employee morale, their desire to provide good service and their efficiency. C ) Pricing Tourism Products & Services: In general, tourism businesses appear to be in a highly competitive industry with limited flexibility to set prices. Either they sell at or below the established market price or see a rapid drop in sales. Establishing a firms price under such circumstances is straightforward although not always simple. All one needs to do is to identify what the competition is charging and price ones own product comparably.Despite this apparent lack of flexibility, however, the uniqueness of tourism/recreation goods and services actually enables producers to establish prices. This uniqueness stems from a number of product attributes, including: ~ 49 ~

business location, its natural environment, the types of facilities offerred, the personal relationships that management and staff develop with customers and real and perceived differences in the quality of the firms products. Because most tourism businesses have at least some flexibility to establish prices, this bulletin will address the key factors that should be considered in making pricing decisions. Keep in mind, however, that the same uniqueness which provides pricing flexibility also precludes development of a universally applicable formula for guiding pricing decisions. Furthermore, the goals of businesses in this industry vary widely and because price is a major tool for achieving a businesss goals identical businesses under identical circumstances may logically establish different prices. While it is not possible to prescribe a single formula for all price-setting decisions, it is possible to identify the primary components of a sound pricing strategy. These ingredients can be found in textbooks and by observing business pricing practices. Both sources are drawn upon here to provide you with the ingredients to make sound pricing decisions. Ultimately, you must fit them to your business goals and circumstances to arrive at the best prices for your products. DISTRIBUTION: In the tourism industry, the distribution is concerned with transmission of information about the products to the interested persons. As and when the booking is made, the confirmation becomes essential. It is essential that tourism organizations attempt to simplify and rationalize the distribution systems. A number of factors influencing the ~ 50 ~

distribution policy, such as the location of points-of sale, the cost of distribution, effectiveness if the marketing efforts, the image of the tourist organization and tourist motivating regarding the products. A) The Marketing Channel In Tourism Industry: Marketing channels are the distribution networks through which products flow to market. Of course, the middlemen constitute the building blocks that producers seek to link together into marketing channels to bridge over the gap between themselves and the target market. Very often, the available middlemen dictate the marketing channels. In a true sense, the distribution is a major marketing decision area in which marketing channel is found important. In any marketing channel, the producer is the first in the succession of the enterprises involved in the distribution prices. More formally defined, a marketing channel or channel of distribution is path traced in the direct and Indirect transfer of ownership to a product moving from producers to ultimate consumers. In the tourism industry, the marketing channel describes the methods by which a service is distributed from its manufacturing source to its eventual consumers. B) The chain of distribution: The term chain of distribution donates the methods by which a product or service is distributed from producers to the consumers. The middlemen are the link is strong: the producers succeed in raining the tourists influx. The middlemen are wholesales, buying tourism products in bulk and then making then available to the retailers, e.g. the travel agents. The retailers are the travel agents. The tour operators buy a range of tourism products in bulk, viz. airline seats hotel accommodation, and coach transfers tec.

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They package the tourist products and sale either to travel agents or direct to the tourists. The travel agents buy travel services at the request of their clients and provide a convenient network of sale outlets catering to the needs of a local catchments area. In figure, we find the chain of distribution or the channel of distribution for the tourism products. e.g. from producer to the tourists direct, from producers to retailers and the tourists. The distribution chain is shown below: TOURISM INDUSTRY AND MIDDLEMEN: (Fig 2.2)

TOURISM PRODUCT PRODUCER

WHOLESALER OF TOURISM PRODUCTS OR SERVICES (T.O.)

RETAILERS OF TOURISM PRODUCTS OR SERVICES (T.A.)

TOURIST

1) TOUR OPERATORS ARE WHOLESALERS IN TOURISM INDUSTRY: (Fig 2.3)

GUIDING SERVICE AGENGY TRAVEL INSURANCE POST SERVICES TRAVEL FINANCE

TOUR OPERATOR

TOUR

TOURIST

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2)

TRANSPORT

SERVICE

MIDDLEMEN:

(Fig

2.4)

AIR TRANSPORT SEA TRANSPORT ROAD TRANSPORT RAILWAY TRANSPORT

TOUR OPERATOR

TOUR

TOURIST

3)

ACCOMODATION:

(Fig

2.5)

HOTEL RESORT GUEST HOUSE HOLIDAY HOMES CARAVANS

TOUR OPERATOR

TOUR

TOURIST

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STRATEGIES FOR EFFECTIVE MARKETING

The competition for travelers from the source markets, identified for India, is fierce, and effectively complete in these markets, India will have to shift its currant tradition marketing approach to one of that is more aggressive and competitive. In this context, India will have to use an array of marketing tools and strategies to: The differentiate itself from the completing destinations, including developing of unique market position, image and brand that can not held by the competitors; Undertake an extensive qualitative and quantitative market research

programs in the target source markets; Identify and assemble the highly attractive productive tailored to the interest of each source market, and develop and implement on going cost effective promotion programs in each source market in partnership with the state and private sector industry in India and source market. Of special importance is the formulation and implementation of village tourism program that would be primarily targeted at the domestic urban market in India but which could also attract the International market; Establish an effective and on going market representation presence with the travel in each source market; Establish an internet portal for the various languages to service the information, product description. And product sales requirements of the target market segments in each source market, and to connect these directly with the preferred supplier.

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Following are the measures to sustain the branding strategy: Tourism policing: The concept of `tourism police' a boon to tourists, particularly women is receiving a major thrust. The idea is to sensitize the police to problems faced by tourists, guide them to their destination, assist them ,when there is loss of passport or money, and ensure safety at tourist spots. Tourism police is also expected to deter harassment of women tourists, especially foreigners. Continued incidents of violence against tourists have forced the Centre to advise states to recruit exservicemen for stepping up the security of tourists, particularly foreigners, and deploy them as 'tourist police' or as an alterative security force. But the action the states have taken on Centers suggestion seems largely token. The issue had also drawn the attention of a parliamentary standing committee on transport, tourism and culture, headed by CPM leader Sitaram Yechury.A report tabled last month said: "The committee notes with concern that incidents of cheating, fleecing criminal acts and harassment of foreign tourists bring a bad name to the country and have an adverse impact on the foreign tourist arrival. The committee feels that the issue related with safety and security is vital in creating goodwill and the Union Ministry of Tourism cannot wash its hands off stating that policing is a state subject. So the plan for tourist security should not remain only on paper but should transform into some reality and proper implementation should be carried out. ~ 55 ~

 Internet as a branding medium: The size of the place doesnt matter when it comes to an innovative online branding and marketing strategy. It provides a highly effective means of reaching prospective customers economically through attractive designs and navigation, plus search engine optimization and clever linking. The Internet has opened a world for the countries to create a brand for themselves. The internet can be used as a medium for information dissimilation of features offered by the country. This could be done through platforms like websites, other online support like merchandise for sale, offering integrated packages, travel booking facilities. Integrated marketing campaign Various tools were used to convey the message to potential tourists. Throughout the campaign there were as many as twenty marketing services companies engaged in some aspect of the campaign: research, data management, publishing, public relations, direct mail and exhibition designers. Development of niche tourism areas Given India's unique endowments of biodiversity, forests, rivers, mountains, historical places, temples and pilgrims, caves, museums, monuments and culture, the industry holds immense strength for obtaining higher growth rate. The challenges in the sector lie in successfully preserving these in their original form, and making them accessible to domestic and international travellers. India offers various categories of tourism products, such as adventure tourism; medical ~ 56 ~

tourism (ayurveda and other forms of Indian medications), eco-tourism; rural tourism; cruise tourism; meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions (MICE) tourism; etc. Eg. Medical tourism: With global

revenues of approximately US$ 20 Billion (2005), the medical tourism industry is one of the world's largest industry. India's cost effective treatment makes it an important player in this industry. Growing Medical tourism in India will be one of the major sources for foreign exchange. With increasing number of non-insured population in western countries and increasing healthcare expenditure to GDP resulting in people opting for treatment choices outside their country. But there are still hurdles like 1. Upgradation of basic amenities and hospital infrastructure 2. Co-ordination between the healthcare and tourism sectors 3. Creating a resource pool of highly skilled and cordial manpower 4. Standardization of services and accreditation of hospitals So It is imperative that we looked into such matters as early as possible and such niche tourism areas should be promoted by the government because of their potential to become good revenue earners. Infrastructure build-up:

It is very important to beef up the infrastructure for tourist facilitation. Following measures should be implemented with well chalked out plan: Building highways to connect to the destinations throughout the country. ~ 57 ~

 Identifying and developing new and existing destination circuits. Introducing special tourist trains and tourist buses to connect to most sought after destinations Establishment of budget and luxury hotels on surplus land available with government near tourist places. Development of all sectors related to tourism: Tourism, being one of the largest industries, plays a key role in achieving the socio-economic goals of the development plans of a nation. It is an important service-oriented sector which has made rapid strides globally in terms of gross revenue and foreign exchange earnings. It is a composite of service providers, both public and private, which includes travel agents and tour operators; air, rail and sea transportation operators; guides; owners of hotels, guest houses and inns, restaurants and shops; etc. They are involved in meeting the diverse interests and requirements of domestic and international tourists. The tourism industry should provide incentives to foster the quality of environment, generates more employment opportunities (particularly in remote and backward areas) as well as develops necessary infrastructure facilities like roads, telecom and medical services, in the economy. Thematic branding: A successful integrated package should support the central tourist destination theme with the entire gamut of services comprising rail and road connectivity, water supply, communication, hospitality and all that goes into making the tourist experience worthwhile. The packaging in each case has to be unique, realistic and appealing. The potential of promoting theme-based domestic and in-bound tourism is large. For this, ~ 58 ~

product brand strategy has to focus on customised theme based leisure options. For example, Kerala can be thematically divided into sub- brands derived from its macro promo `God's own Country'. There could thus be packages for backwaters, beaches, plantations, wildlife, the monsoon, cuisine, pilgrimages and others. Each must have a specific brand message linked with the value package it offers. Thematic options can be interlinked with similar ones in other parts of the country. An example of this would be to connect selective beach resorts in the country for beach tourists, and similarly for hill resorts, pilgrimage, heritage health and ayurveda, wildlife and others. Some of these theme-based packages could be offered in various combinations. Role of private players: India has long history of big corporate houses, which have been instrumental in generating huge employment. But it is time now for these organizations to step up and help in improvement and maintenance of tourism. This can be done through measures such s funding the maintenance of heritage sites, helping build string network of road connectivity etc. Also through PPP(Public Private Partnership) many activities could be undertaken. Manpower development: India has huge human resources, which can be tapped in to boost tourism. It will also create job opportunities for vast population.

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Main Marketing Tools used by a travel agency Trade Fairs Travel fairs and exhibitions can be a highly-cost effective sales and marketing tool combining all the best characteristics of advertising, promotions, direct mail and selling, either through tour operators and travel agents or, in the case of public shows, directly to consumers. Benefits include direct sales, new product launches, lead generation, penetration of new markets, building and maintaining client/customer relations, market research, database building and networking. Research suggests that more than 80% of visitors to trade fairs are decision makers. Taking part in a trade fair without first having a clear view of why you are there is an almost certain recipe for failure. Setting objectives is, therefore, an important starting point for any exhibition, giving direction to all aspects of your participation. Setting your objectives will make it possible to measure objectively the result of theexhibition, instead of making such a judgment merely subjective. At the same time,objectives will help you establish budgetary requirements, motivate your staff and justify your participation next time around. The goals you set for yourself need to be formulated as concretely as possible. They must be realistic, open to evaluation and have a time limit in order to facilitate and provide a firm base for future work. Possible objectives could include; increase in sales, meeting new clients, obtain marketintelligence, launch new products, penetrate a new market, change or enhance companyimage, carry out market testing and study the

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activities of competitors. In order to ensure that your objectives are appropriate and attainable, you need to: 1. Know what you want to sell or communicate. 2. Know your target market. 3. Quantify your objectives in order to set a goal. 4. Ensure your targets are achievable. 5. Prioritize your objectives. 6. Communicate your objectives to your staff. Once you have defined your main goals, the next step is to give careful consideration to Which sector of the travel industry you want to direct your sales and marketing efforts towards. How can you best attract your chosen targets to visit your stand? You couldspecifically invite companies to the fair, make pre-booked appointments or hold a reception on your stand for selected guests. By staying focused on your target market at all times, you will stand a better-than-average chance of getting your messages across and building new business. For some, having a stand of their own is the most natural way to participate, while others may find it more desirable or cost-effective to share stand space with others. Sharing with a national airline, a tourism board, a hotel or other tour operator who is not a direct competitor may enhance your presence. Since most tour operators will wish to work directly with overseas operators, it makes sense that attending wholly public fair would not be in your best interests. Your decision on where to exhibit should be made only after careful consideration of the event, the audience it is likely to attract, its ~ 61 ~

timing and location and the cost, not only of exhibiting but also of attending including meals, accommodation and flights. In deciding which fair(s) to participate, you should identify all the possibilities, compile as much information as possible; from organizers (attendance figures, breakdown of visitors, etc), cost implications and comments from other exhibitors. The more information you collect, the easier it will be to cut out those exhibitions that do not match your marketing objectives or your budget. Similarly, timing of the event, the size and importance of their venues and their geographical catchment area will help you reach a decision. Planning is essential to protect your investment in trade fairs, it is the key to getting the best possible return, to ensure smooth and stress free exhibiting, project a cohesive, positive and memorable message and improve your participation the next time around. Planning for an exhibition should be thorough enough that no surprises crop up during the actual exhibition, the time when all your efforts should be directed towards sales work. One person in the business should be responsible for making all the arrangements. Most fairs will provide you with a manual which should be fully understood. A timetable should be drawn up highlighting key tasks and deadline dates. You should draw up a budget for your participation based on the activities you plan to become involved in. The budget should also be linked to the forecasts for the benefits that you expect to achieve. Brochures and Printed Materials As we stated earlier, a tour operators brochure is important because of the intangible nature of the product that is being sold. The brochure ~ 62 ~

should invite people to buy the itineraries it advertises, provide the information necessary to persuade the client to purchase a holiday and create and reinforce the companys image with its clients. Most brochures are designed to an A4 format in Europe and Letter size in the US so the size of your brochure will be important according to the market you are targeting. Most brochures are printed on glossy colored paper. The bigger the brochure, the flimsier the paper it is printed on tends to be, both to keep down production costs and to stop it becoming unmanageably heavy. Pull out price pages are normally printed on cheap colored paper. Some companies will also have slightly thicker front covers to protect the brochures in transit and on the shelves, and to create a better image. Although many operators will produce full color brochures, it is cheaper to choose fewer colors. A full color brochure could include some pages that are one or two color (those pages used for terms and conditions, booking information, etc) to cut down costs. Color is important. Bright colors usually signify cheaper tours. Pale and dark colors signify more expensive tours. Every brochure should contain clear, legible, comprehensive and accurate information to enable the client to exercise and informed judgment in making his choice. Content could include: 1) A companys legal identity 2) Means of travel 3) Destinations or itineraries 4) Dates of fixed departures (if you have them) ~ 63 ~

5) Nature of accommodation and meal facilities 6) Additional facilities 7) Booking conditions 8) Insurance details 9) Price policy 10) Health matters 11) Arbitration 12) Publication date 13) Difficulty ratings 14) Maps 15) Pictures of attractions, accommodations or previous clients. Advertising: Advertising, in a true sense, is a communication link between the seller and the buyer or the consumer. It is an active attempt at influencing people to action by an overt appeal to reason or emotion. Advertising as a part of the total marketing mix influences the sale of the product. Advertising should be complementary to personal selling, an important marketing tool concerned with communication. Thus advertising is a potent tool of marketing and a component of overall promotion activities. Categorically, for tourism, the advertising is aimed at the public to create awareness of the travel offers available, or a resort and its attractions to ~ 64 ~

influence their business decisions. The media available for advertising are newspapers (national, regional, local, weekly and Sunday editions), Technical press (technical magazines and newspapers), magazines (general womens magazine and special interest e.g., recreation,

hobbies, furnishing etc.), commercial television, commercial radio, poster sites (out doors generally at transport termini), cinema and theatres (program and displays during intervals) and direct mail. Advertising in tourism essentially follows the AIDA principles of attracting attention (advertisements are placed on TV), creating awareness or interest by an invitation to receive information, specially prepared to transform curiosity into readiness), fostering desire (by a combination of public relations activity surrounding the prospects for the launching of product and inspiring action (by sending application forms or publishing them in newspapers). The following table presents an overview of the differences between the different types of travel operations in the leisure travel industry in terms of their markets and their main distribution channels: Target Markets Clients Travel Agencies Mass market, Flight general interest travel package travel to and other travel Direct sales to or Main Products/Services Distribution Channels

arrangements,accommodation consumers.Inbound and event tickets, package agencies may sell and tours for groups and to outbound

individuals (for outbound). agencies or place Products are mostly sourced packages from tour operators, ground resellers ~ 65 ~ with and

More known

well operators, and local service portals. providers, but also from travel resellers and portals. marketing through advertisement

Mass done

destinations

via

direct mail, media, and via agency

offices. Outbound Travelers Tour Operators interests, usually defined operators, or may be designed audience in in house with inbound or specialized agencies. through the domestic market. a with specific Package travel to a variety of Direct sales to

more destinations within a specific consumers. Some area of interest, for groups or independent travelers. outbound operators may sell certain through

Products are mostly sourced from inbound

products

resellers or portals,

operators, ground operators, and local service providers in the destination many country of the

supplying services. Inbound Tour Operators specific destination or activity, of interest Travelers with

Package travel for groups or Sales to outbound an independent travelers in tour operators,

interest in a one destination or a region, some direct sales to may cover several areas or be consumers and more through resellers or

~ 66 ~

usually long focused, for groups or haul travelers in other markets. independent travelers. Products are usually designed in house, with some services from ground

portals. Targeted marketing via direct contacts with outbound tour operators, travel

operators and local service providers resold as part of the package.

fairs, and to special interest groups in foreign markets via direct mail, special interest publications.

Ground Operators

Target

clients Services for tour Direct operators independent or with operators,

contacts tour

are inbound and outbound operators offering package tour

travelers local advertising, in one on the street

destination or a advertising in the tourist season, some marketing

services in the region.Offer destination, well independent travelers have as own as and with that services already ~ 67 ~ products services some

through websites.

arrived incountry.

from service

local

providers resold as part of the package. Local Service Providers Target are inbound sometimes outbound operators offering package services in the destination, well as independent travelers have arrived country. Travel Resellers Long and short Similar and Portals haul usually more interests to Direct mailing, that already in as tour Offer services, clients Services for tour Direct mainly operators but independent travelers local advertising, in one locality. on the street or with operators, contacts tour

own advertising in the with tourist season, rarely marketing through websites except in the case of Accommodations. any

very few resold services added

to the package.

travelers, package services advertisement with sold specific outbound tour but operators, collections may ~ 68 ~ mass media and but special interest by through

sometimes with

general interests,

be grouped to publications, may appeal to a specific website, special and internet marketing via audience.

cover markets in more than one Country.

promotions, web Advertising.

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S.W.O.T ANALYSIS
The tourism sectors contribute to the national development priorities and strategies has so far been relatively limited. A review of the sectors competitive strengths and weakness, opportunities and treats indicates that it has considerable growth potentials. The main results of the analysis are: Competitive strength: Indias great competitive strength from the tourism point of view is its ancient and yet living civilization that gave rise to fore of the worlds great religious and philosophies, and brought travelers and trade millennia ago. The rich natural and rural landscape of the India is punctuated with the built heritage of its ancient past and more modern structure of the present and its hope for the future. Indias contacts with the other civilization is reflected in the rich cultural diversity of its people through its languages, cuisine, traditions, customs, music, dance, religious practices and festivals, its holist healing traditions, art and craft. Weaknesses: Lack if major city experiences Weather, especially compared to overseas sun destinations Cost comparison to overseas sun destinations Transport infrastructure Staff skills Traffic congestion Lack of warmth of local communities

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 Opportunities: The competitive opportunities are: Leverage the huge potential of its domestic population to develop rural tourism Leverage of strength as one of the world ancient civilization in the contest of its rich and diverse natural heritage to increase its share of the huge international travel market, especially the fast growing long haul segment of this market, Leverage Indias strength as one of the worlds largest economies for business, meetings, convention, incentives, events, and exhibition based tourism. Threats: The main internal threats to the development in the tourism sector are security, safety and health situation; failing to involve communities in decision making process for tourism development; and the failure to adopt and implement sustainable development and management principals and practices at tourism site, especially in the rural and natural areas of the country. Growth will mean increase in low quality, seasonal jobs Growth will bring more visitors to parts of the region already up to capacity Lose support of local communities as they suffer from more traffic and environmental damage Competition from other areas is growing stronger

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Marketing Strategies of the Travel agency A good track record ensures good worth of mouth publicity. Direct mailers are then sent to individuals and travel agents. Brouchers are being used as a principle selling aid; videos of each product are also available. Sales calls are made to bring information about product range to the travel agents doorstep and thus doubts are cleared. Calls are also made to corporate clients. Tele calling is done to follow up on the sales calls. Familiarization (FAM) tours are arranged for the employees to make them knowledgeable about the product they are selling. Product launches are done and invitations extended to CIPS (commercially Important Person). Participation in travel marts and exhibitions ensures publicity and gives opportunity to develop contacts and provide an update on the new happenings in the industry. Regular information about the major international events is maintained and Opportunities to procure business are never missed. An effort is made to obtain appreciation letters from satisfied customers. Principally a good service marketer considers customer file to be closed only when the letter of appreciation is attached at the end Future Planning Advertisement in newspapers, travel trade magazines and other high profile magazines. Advertisements through audio-visual media; for e.g. repeated advertisements display on TV screens. ~ 72 ~

 Introductory promotion through insight etc. and persons who have been on the tours already.

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Data Analysis and Interpretation

1) LEVEL AT WHICH THE TOURS AGENCIES WORK:
6 5 4 3 2 1 0 LEVEL OF WORKING LOCAL NATIONAL NATIONAL & INTERNATIONAL

ANALYSIS: (Fig 4.1) From the above graph, we find that 50% of the Tours & Travel agencies operate at the Local level, 30% at the National & International level and 20% at the National level. 2) MODE OF TRANSPORT THROUGH WHICH TOUR

ACTIVITIES ARE CONDUCTED:

MODE OF TRANSPORT
10% 30% 50% 10% AIRWAYS RAILWAYS ROADWAYS WATERWAYS AIR, RAIL, & ROADWAYS ALL THE ABOVE

ANALYSIS: (Fig 4.2)

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From the above graph, we find that 50% of the Tours & Travel agencies operate through Air, Rail, & Roadways, 30% through Roadways, and 10% each through Waterways. 3) TOUR DESTINATIONS:

DESTINATIONS
NATURAL SCENES 30% HISTORIC PLACES SOCIO-CULTURAL 70% ARTIFICIAL BEAUTIES ALL THE PLACES

ANALYSIS: (Fig 4.3) From the above graph, we find that 70% of the Tours & Travel agencies have their Tour Destinations at All the Places, while 30% of them have their Tour Destinations at Natural Scenes only.

4) PERIOD OF ADVERTISEMENT:

TIME OF ADVERTISEMENT
10% 20% SEASONALLY MONTHLY 70% REGULARLY

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ANALYSIS: (Fig 4.4) From the above graph, we find that 70% of the Tours & Travel agencies advertise Seasonally, 20% Monthly and 10% advertise Regularly.

5) MEDIUM OF ADVERTISING TOURISM ACTIVITIES:

8 6 4 2 0 MEDIUM OF ADVERTISEMENT MEDIA PAMPHLETS BOTH MEDIA AND PAMPHLETS

ANALYSIS: (Fig 4.5) From the above graph, we find that 70% of the Tours & Travel agencies advertise their tourism activities through Pamphlets, 20% through Media & Pamphlets and 10% through Media. 6) MODE OF SALES DISTRIBUTION:
6 4 2 0 MODE OF SALES DISTRIBUTION 1 STAGE-DIRECT SALES 2 STAGE-TRAVEL AGENT BOHT 1st & 2nd STAGE

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ANALYSIS: (Fig 4.6) From the above graph, we find that 50% of the Tours & Travel agencies have their Sales Distribution through Direct Sales, 30% through both Direct Sales & Travel Agents and 20% through Travel Agents.

7) WAY IN WHICH RESERVATIONS ARE MADE FOR TICKETS:

6 4 2 0 MODE OF RESERVATIONS OFFICE & ONLINE OFFICE & TELEPHONE OFFICE, ONLINE & TELEPHONE

ANALYSIS: (Fig 4.7) From the above graph, we find that 50% of the Tours & Travel agencies provide the reservations to the tourists through Office, Online & Telephone, 30% through Office & Telephone and 20% through Office & Online.

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8)MANAGING TOURIST INFORMATION SYSTEM:

10 8 6 4 2 0 MANAGEMENT OF TOURIST INFORMATION SYSTEM YES NO

ANALYSIS: (Fig4.8) From the above graph, we find that 90% of the Tours & Travel agencies manage Tourist Information System, while 10% of them donot manage Tourist Information System.

9) SOFTWARE FOR KEEPING ACCOUNTS:

40% 20%

30% EXCEL COMSOFT DATABASE REGISTER 10% TALLY

ANALYSIS: (Fig 4.9) From the above graph, we find that 40% of the Tours & Travel agencies use TALLY for keeping accounts, 30% use EXCEL, 20% use REGISTER and 10% use COMSOFT DATABASE software. ~ 78 ~

10)

GOVERNMENT

TAXES

APPLIED

ON

TOURISM

ACTIVITIES:
6 4 2 0 TYPES OF TAXES APPLIED SERVICE TAX ROAD TAX BOTH SERVICE AND ROAD TAX

ANALYSIS: (Fig 4.10) From the above graph, we find that 50% of the Tours & Travel agencies pay Service Tax, 30% pay Road Tax and 20% pay both Service and Road Tax. 11) LIMITATIONS FROM GOVERNMENT ON TOURISM ACTIVITIES:

LIMITATIONS OF GOVERNMENT
40% 60% YES NO

ANALYSIS: (Fig 4.11)

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From the above graph, we find that 60% of the Tours & Travel agencies donot face Limitations from the Government in their Tourism activities, while 40% of them face Limitations from the Government.

12) PRICES FIXED ACCORDING TO:

8 6 4 2 0 PRICES FIXED ACCORDING TO COMPETITION MARKET SEGMENTS INCOME GROUPS ALL OF THEM

ANALYSIS: (Fig 4.12) From the above graph, we find that 60% of the Tours & Travel agencies fix their prices according to Competition, 10% on the basis of Market Segments, 10% on the basis of Income Groups, and 20% on the basis of all the above.

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13) SPECIAL CONCESSIONS TO REPEAT VISITORS:

10 8 6 4 2 0 SPECIAL DISCOUNTS YES NO

ANALYSIS: (Fig 4.13) From the above graph, we find that 80% of the Tours & Travel agencies give Discounts to Repeat Visitors, while 20% donot give Concessions or Discounts to Repeat Visitors.

14) IS INSURANCE PROVIDED TO TOURISTS:

10 8 6 4 2 0 INSURANCE TO TOURISTS YES NO

ANALYSIS:

(Fig 4.14)

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From the above graph, we find that 80% of the Tours & Travel agencies provide Insurance to the tourists while 20% donot provide Insurance to the tourists. 15) FIRST - AID FACILITY TO TOURISTS:
10 8 6 4 2 0 FIRST-AID FACILITY YES NO

ANALYSIS: (Fig 4.15) From the above graph, we find that 80% of the Tours & Travel agencies provide First-Aid facilities to the Tourists, while 20% of them donot provide First-Aid facilities.

16) SELF OWNED MECHANICS ON TOURS:

SELF OWNED MECHANICS

30% YES 70% NO

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ANALYSIS: (Fig 4.16) From the above graph, we find that 70% of the Tours & Travel agencies donot have self owned mechanics for long Tours, while 30% have self owned mechanics for long Tours.

17) COMMUNICATION OF TOUR ESCORTS IN DIFFERENT LANGUAGES TO TOURIST :

8 6 4 2 0 TOUR ESCORTS COMMUNICATING IN DIFFERENT LANGUAGES YES NO

ANALYSIS: (Fig 4.17) From the above graph, we find that 60% of the Tours & Travel agencies have their guides communicating in different languages with the Tourists, while 40% donot have their guides communicating in different languages with the Tourists.

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18) HOTEL ARRANGEMENT FOR TOURISTS:

HOTEL ARRANGEMENTS
0%

YES 100% NO

ANALYSIS: (Fig 4.18) From the above graph, we find that 100% of the Tours & Travel agencies make Hotel Arrangements for Tourists, while 10% of them donot make Hotel Arrangements for Tourists. 19) FOOD OFFERED ACCORDING TO TOURISTS DESIRE:
15 10 5 0 FOOD OFFERED ACCORDING TO TOURISTS WISH YES NO

ANALYSIS: (Fig 4.19) From the above graph, we find that 60% of the Tours & Travel agencies provide food to the Tourists according to their wish, while 40% of them donot provide food to the Tourists according to their wish.

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20)

SUCCESS

OF

AGENCIES

IN

PROMOTING

THEIR

TOURISM ACTIVITIES:

SUCCESS OF TOUR AGENCIES

20% YES 80% NO STABLE

ANALYSIS: (Fig 4.20) From the above graph, we find that 80% of the Tours & Travel agencies feel that they are Successful in Promoting their Tourism activities, while 20% of them feel that they are Stable and not so Successful in Promoting their Tourism activities.

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FINDINGS
Majority of the tours and travel agencies work at local level. Seasonal advertising is made largely through pamphlets. It is observed that, reservations are made through Office, Online and Telephone. Due importance is given to online and office reservation because it is found that proper information is not provided through telephone and some of the telephone calls for enquiry may be fake. Majority of tours and travel agencies use Tally for keeping their accounts. There has been no stoppage of theft and crime against foreign tourists especially women tourists in India. There have been numerous rape cases of women tourists, putting Indian tourism to shame. Majority of the Tours & Travel agencies fix their prices on the basis of competition. Majority of the Tours and Travels agencies provide insurance facilities to their tourists. It is observed that most of the Tours & travel agencies do not have self owned mechanics for long tours. The Government regulations are not transparent and there is lot of redtapism. The Tours & Travel agencies do not have their guides communicating in different languages to tourists from different states. There is provision for first- aid facility to the tourists. Majority of the Tours & Travel agencies have their tour destination which includes Natural Scenes, Historic Places, Artificial Beauties and so on. Most of Tours & Travel agencies operate through Airways, Railways and Roadways. ~ 86 ~

 Tourist Information System is maintained by most of the Tours & Travel agencies, which enables them to have a detailed record of the tourists so that they can provide special concessions to repeat visitors. Majority of the Tours & Travel agencies have their sales distribution through direct sales The Tours & Travel agencies make hotel arrangements for tourists. Food preferences of tourists are taken into consideration. It is found that most of the Tours & Travel Agencies are successful in promoting the tourism activities.

SUGGESTIONS
The Tours & Travel agencies should gear up their tourism activities at national & international level. Along with seasonal advertisement, regular advertisement should be made, so that tourism impact is maintained. Along with pamphlets, different media should also be used to have a better awareness among the people. As far as possible, reservation through telephone should be, avoided to prevent fake enquiries. Comsoft database, a software which is specially for managing accounts should be used by all Tours & Travel agencies. The prices of the tour packages should be fixed taking into consideration the low income groups and the market segments. All Tours & Travel agencies should have self owned mechanic for long tours to have an immediate remedy on breakdowns. The government should encourage the tourism activities by providing concessional infrastructural facilities for average income group people.

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 The Escorts of Tours & Travel agencies should be well versed with all types of different languages to facilitate better communication between the tourists. The Tours & Travel agencies should also try to conduct tours through waterways. The Tours & Travel agencies should make arrangements for training their staff and employees to overcome the breakdown problems during long tours.

~ 88 ~

CONCLUSION
Tourism Marketing in INDIA has a wide scope. There are thousands of places of tourist attractions. The Tours & Travel Agencies can encourage their tourism through Waterways which is also todays need. The tourism product and the tour packages should be arranged in such a way that they are reasonable and also affordable to the low income group people. Media advertisement should be encouraged on a wide scale. If the people in tourism cater to the needs of the tourists, it will result in their satisfaction. Customer satisfaction in tourism is greatly influenced by the way in which the service is delivered and the physical appearance and personality of the business. It is critical that these elements be communicated in the best possible manner to convince people to come and experience what the agencys business or community has to offer. Equally important is the ability to generate repeat business because of their efforts. It is not enough that the country possesses a potential for becoming a covetable tourist destination. To turn that possibility into reality, marketing is a pre-condition. Today, promotional activities through the internet and other electronic media including TV can be utilised with reasonable costs. Government has taken necessary measures to

encourage the private sector to play positive role in the development and diversification of tourist facilities to promote domestic and international tourism in the country. Thus, marketing becomes the method to reach potential visitors. It is a vital part of tourism management and can be done effectively and well, with sophistication and tact, or it can be done poorly in a loud, crass and ~ 89 ~

intrusive manner. Also there should be regular updation of the tourism marketing plans. Government encouragement to the tourism activities will also help the tourism to flourish in INDIA as well as ABROAD, lasting for never ending success. Looking at the present day situation, all these words of movements are still going on with a lot of capabilities building up the tourism infrastructure. Travel as a multinational, dimensional phenomenon consisting of various components and allied services. The industry now is highly professional zed and complex operation with hotels, restaurants, airlines and tour operators being the primary flag referrers. Advancement in technology, management principles, and marketing techniques have made the tour operations a highly competitive business along with hotels. Tour operators now bring the entire package to the traveller, business persons and ensure a no headache-involved tour. With the liberation in India comes a new class of passion the enthusiastic traveller and the business executive. The traveller has more disposable income and is bitten by the travel bug. The Business executive has to travel to collaborate and learn from his counterparts abroad, all expenses paid by the company. Organizations too have found travel as the perfect incentives to award to productive partners and dealers. Realizing the changing market and anticipating the future scenario, has started giving emphasis especially to outbound tourism in the last 10 years. It increased to a large extent and realized the objective of becoming the market leader in providing exclusive tours for the premier niche of the market.

~ 90 ~

Full sales and marketing support is added to achieve this. The corporate head office is situated in Bombay where the strategic decisions are taken by the top management. These are carried on to the countrywide branches for goal-oriented operations. The sales and marketing team in Delhi handles the Corporate relations with the companies. A SWOT analysis of the company was done, which brings all the major points in awareness of the existing situation in the internal and the external environment in the company and the trade.[ New arrangements are made and products launched to help in the promotion. Better market research, awareness and target segment oriented approach will finally help in increasing market share and development.

~ 91 ~

QUESTIONNAIRE: In term of Travel Agency

1) On what level does your travel agency work ? a) Local b) National c) International d) Both National & International 2) How does your transportation take place through ? a) Airways b) Railways c) Roadways d) Waterways e) Air, Rail, Roadways f) All the above 3) What are your tour destinations ? a) Natural Scenes b) Historic Places c) Social cultural d) Artificial Beauties e) All the Places 4) When do you advertise your tourism activities ? a. Seasonally b. Monthly c. Regularly ~ 92 ~

5) Through what medium do you advertise or promote your tourism activities ? a. Media b. Advertising Pamphlets c. Media & Pamphlets d. Any other

6) Your sales distribution is through which system ? a) One-stage system - direct sales b) Two-stage system- travel agent c) Both 1st & 2nd Stage 7) In what way is the reservation done for tickets ? a) Office & Online b) Office & Telephone c) Office ,Online & Telephone 8) Do you manage tourist information system ? a) Yes b) No

9) What type of software do you use for managing or keeping accounts ? a. Excel b. Comsoft Database c. Register d. Tally

~ 93 ~

10) What type of government taxes are applied on your tourism activities ? a) Service tax b) Road tax c) Both Service & Road tax

11) Do you face any limitations from the Government, in promoting your tourism activities ? a) Yes b) No 12) Prices are fixed according to a) Competition b) Income Groups c) Market Segment d) All the above 13) Do you provide special concessions to repeat visitors ? a) Yes b) No 14) Is Insurance provided to the tourists? a) Yes b) No 15) Do you provide first aid facilities to tourists ? ~ 94 ~

a) Yes b) No 16) Do you have Self Owned Mechanics ? a) Yes b) No 17) Do your tourist escorts communicate in different languages to tourists of different states countries ? a) Yes b) No

18) Do you arrange hotels for tours ? a) Yes b) No 19) Is the food offered according to preferences of the tourist ? a) Yes b) No 20) Do you feel your agency is successful in marketing your tourism activities? a) Yes b) No c) Stable

~ 95 ~

BIBLIOGRAPHY

WEBSITE *www.wikipedia.com *www.lepassagetoindia.com *www.google.com

BOOKS * Jenkins C. L. (1991) Developing Tourism Destinations Policies and Perspectives Longman Harlow * Jenkins C.L. (1991) Tourism policies in developing countries in Medlik, S. (Ed.), Managing Tourism, Butterworth-Heinemann, Oxford, pp. 269-78 * Vanhove N. (2005) Tourism and employment International Journal of Tourism Management, Volume 2, Issue 3, September 1981, Pages 162175

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