A

Project Report

On

“ROLE OF TECHNOLOGY IN TOURISM”

SUBMITTED IN:

Partial Fulfillment of the Requirement for the degree

Of

Bachelor of tourism management

Submitted to: Submitted by:

xxxxxxxx yyyyyyyyyy

Roll No-

Indira Gandhi National Open University (New Delhi)

CONTENTS

1. Introduction Global Tourism Industry

2. Technology & Tourism

3. Indian tourism

4. Current Indian Tourism Industry

5. Objectives of research

6. Research Methodology

Types of Research

Research Design

Sampling Unit

Types of Sampling

Methods of Data Collection

7. Findings of the study

8. Limitations

9. Bibliography

SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY:

The importance of Human Resource Development for Tourism Industry is increasingly

being realized. There is a need to mobilize the human resource with the purpose to enable

them to participate in the task of organizational development and nation building.

Mobilization would include the need to develop the human resource, their skills,

knowledge, attitudes, so that they can achieve competently the pre-determined goals.

Obviously the efficient and professional management is pre-requisite of successful

tourism development. Having equal importance, however, is the quality of staff training,

which is often relatively neglected during the early stages of tourism sector development.

Tourism basically being a service business, a developing destination must take the

necessary steps to build a pool of efficient trained people to fill various jobs, which will

be created subsequently. A variety of jobs will have to be created to look after and

manage various tourist services. Special attention, therefore, will have to be given to the

needs of manpower and personnel to be trained and rendered qualified for the various

tourism professions. Special care has to be taken to ensure that there is expansion of

facilities and services. In case of a developing country, it will also be appropriate to study

at this stage the volume of manpower required for activities complementary to

accommodation industry in general and service

sector particular.1 Inspite of having a lot of tourism potentials India’s share of global

international tourism is relatively small in volume about 0.40% of world tourism. The

greatest thrust to tourism will come through human resource development in our country.

We would have skilled persons to handle this industry right from the level of waiters to

executive level and in case of Air India Ltd. ground

duty staff to flying staff. While planning for human resources development, programmes

should be

established to screen and train prospective employees so that they could acquire both

attitudinal as well as technical skills. Attitudinal characteristics contribute to an

employee’s success in tourism position and include pride, flexibility, adaptability and

judgement. Technical skills required for equipment operation and maintenance, financial

management, food and beverage, and personnel management etc. In order to determine

the need for various personal required, a staff planning exercise may be done. This

involves a

series of steps, which include job analysis, preparing job description, job specifications

and preparing staff forecasts. This sequence of activities leads to a detailed forecast of

exactly what types of persons, with what specific qualifications and skills will be required

at all major facilities within the tourist destination. All this helps in determining the

development of requisite education and training programmes within the country for local

residents. This will also help in determining whether there is a need for trained personnel

from other countries and also whether local people are to be sent for training elsewhere

INTRODUCTION GLOBAL TOURISM INDUSTRY

Since the beginning of time humans have traveled. Food, water, safety or acquisition of

resources (trade) were the early travel motivations. But the idea of travel for pleasure or

exploration soon emerged. Travel has always depended upon technology to provide the

means or mode of travel. The earliest travelers walked or rode domesticated animals. The

invention of the wheel and the sail provided new modes of transportation. Each

improvement in technology increased individuals' opportunities to travel. As roads were

improved and governments stabilized, interest in travel increased for education,

sightseeing, and religious purposes. One of the earliest travel guides was written by

Pausanias, a Greek, which was a 10 volume Guide to Greece, for Roman tourists in 170

A.D..Tourism is a collection of activities, services and industries that delivers a travel

experience, including transportation, accommodations, eating and drinking

establishments, retail shops, entertainment businesses, activity facilities and other

hospitality services provided for individuals or groups traveling away from home. The

World Tourism Organization (WTO) claims that tourism is currently the worlds largest

industry with annual revenues of over $3 trillion dollars. Tourism provides over six

million jobs in the United States, making it the country's largest employer.

Definition of Tourism

Mathieson and Wall (1982) created a good working definition of tourism as "the

temporary movement of people to destinations outside their normal places of work and

residence, the activities undertaken during their stay in those destinations, and the

facilities created to cater to their needs."

According to Macintosh and Goeldner (1986) tourism is "the sum of the phenomena

and relationships arising from the interaction of tourists, business suppliers, host

governments and host communities in the process of attracting and hosting these tourists

and other visitors."

Traveler

Outside usual environment

For less than 12 consecutive month

Purpose of trip other than an activity remunerated from within the place visited

With overnight OtherTravelers

Visitor

Same-day Visitor

Tourist

Yes No

Yes No

Yes No

Yes No

Tourism

The Tourism Product

Other terms of interest are:

Excurionist: Persons traveling for pleasure in a period less than 24 hours (Macintosh and

Goeldner, 1986).

Foreign Tourist: Any person visiting a country, other than that in which he/she usually

resides, for a period of at least 24 hours (Committee of Statistical Experts of the League

of Nations, 1937).

Travel: The act of moving outside one's home community for business or pleasure but

not for commuting or traveling to or from school (Macintosh and Goeldner, 1986).

Visitor: Any person visiting a country other than that in which he/she has his/her usual

place of residence, for any reason other than following an occupation remunerated from

within the country visited (United Nations Conference on International Travel and

Tourism, 1963).

Transportation Systems

The type and availability of transportation will determine travel destinations. The

development of accommodations were likewise determined by the development of

transportation systems.

Dimensions of Tourism

All tourism activities are related to one or more of the following dimensions of tourism.

Attractions: Are the primary motivation for traveling. They may be a primary

destination such as Disney World or secondary destination which are interesting places to

visit on the way to your primary destination. Most tourist traveling from the east to go to

Las Vegas will stopover at the Grand Canyon national Park on the way. Attractions

usually focus on natural resources, culture, ethnicity or entertainment.

Natural Resources: Natural resources are the combination of physical features

(Yosemite National Park, California), the climate (Vail, Colorado), and the natural beauty

of the area (Acadia National Park, Maine). The challenge to managing natural resources

based tourism is to preserve the natural resource from the impact of the tourist's.

Culture: A way of life which is observed through a peoples religion, history, government

and traditions.

Ethnicity: To visit family and friends.

X-treme Tourism: Tourism based on high adventure activities (See Whirlwind Tourism)

Buffalo Dancers

Sedona, AZ

Facilities: When tourists arrive at attractions they require facilities to provide services.

Lodging: Represent a variety of services from campgrounds, RV parks, motels and five

star resorts.

Food & Beverage: Not only provide basic sustenance for tourists but an important factor

in the overall tourism experience.

Support Services: Usually are represented by small retail businesses providing souvenirs

and personal services. Shopping is an integral part of the travel experience. Tourists seek

unique and novel items which represent the area and cultures they visit.

Infrastructure: The basic services on which all tourism depends. These systems include

water and sewer systems, communication networks, medical facilities, electricity, police

and fire protection and roads.

Time and Money: This is the critical component to tourism, the ability to get from Point

A to Point B and back, or to Point C, D, E.... The variables of Time, how long it takes to

get to a specific destination, and Money, how much it costs to get to your destination.

Tourism developments are dependent on the ease of access and types of transportation

available.

Hospitality: The community's attitude which permeates every tourism location that

makes the tourist feel welcome and safe. It is the result of the interaction between the

tourist and the local population.

Essential Requirements & Characteristics of Tourism

Time, as the hours for leisure increase so does the opportunity for travel. Changes in

work days or hours, school calendars will affect how and when people can travel. The

overall travel pattern has moved from a two week vacation to 6-8 three or four day mini-

vacations per year.

Money, the majority of travel requires discretionary income. Discretionary income is

money left over after all monetary obligations (food, rent and taxes) have been paid.

Mobility, is the access to transportation (car, bus, plane, train or ship) and the hours

required to get to their destination.

Motivation, is the reason people travel. Motivations may include seeking novelty,

education, meet new people, adventure or stress reduction.

• The service - the tourism product is consumed at the time it is produced. The

product is based on social interaction between the supplier and the consumer,

where the quality of the product is mainly defined by this interaction. Consumer

part of production.

• Tourism is labor intensive, which will increase the costs of tourism services on

the long term, at least compared to the other areas of our economy.

• Tourism is very sensitive to changes in private household incomes (no primary

need). It is in direct competition to other products in the household income basket

such as books, newspapers, entertainment, but also electronic products.

• Tourism is an umbrella industry - containing a set of interrelated businesses,

involving travel companies, accommodation facilities, catering enterprises, tour

operators, travel agents, providers of recreation and leisure facilities

• Tourism is an important vehicle for regional and national development planning

and strategies - also in industrialized countries (see also the respective programs

of the European Commission). This is due to its job creation potential and the

rather low entrance barriers compared to other industries. Tourism activities can

be designed in such a way, that it respects environmental, social and cultural

constraints.

International Tourist arrivals

International tourism receipts

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

400

450

500

1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997

Bn

U$

0

5

10

15

20

25

Ch

ang

e (%

)

receipts: expenditures of international inbound visitors including payments to national

carriers for international transport; include any other prepayments made for

goods/services received in the destination; excludes international fare receipts Tourism

receipts on 3. place in world exports (after petroleum and petroleum products; motor

vehicles, parts and accessories)

Regional market share

Africa3% Americas

20%

Europe60%

Middle East2%

South Asia1%

East Asia/Pacif ic

14%

Europe is declining. East Asia/Pacific grew from a share of 1 % (1960) to 14% (1995).

•

Gross Domestic Product - World

0,0

1,0

2,0

3,0

4,0

5,0

6,0

7,0

1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1996 1997 2007Years

Tr U

$

10,2

10,3

10,4

10,5

10,6

10,7

10,8

10,9

11,0

Perc

ent

Jobs by travel and tourism - worldwide

100

150

200

250

300

350

400

1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1996 1997 2007

Years

Mn

of jo

bs

9,4

9,6

9,8

10,0

10,2

10,4

10,6

10,8

11,0

Perc

enta

ge

KEY MARKET FACTORS

• changing consumer behavior: in 1995 the non-mainstream tourism represented

approx. 5% of the total tourism demand, with growing tendency.

• increasingly varied product development, finely targeted product marketing.

• globalization: tourism is becoming a real global business, where the domestic

supplier has to compete with long distance destinations. This is accompanied by a

concentration process.

• marketing: the success products will depend on extensive and targeted

marketing, leading to the growth of new distribution channels. There will be

more destination focus on image.

• human resources: puts heavy emphasis on educated and trained personnel,

increasing average wages and salaries. Tourism will have to compete with other

service industries which have developed well suited training programs, and are

offering higher salaries.

Regional market shares - 2020

Africa5%

Americas18%

Middle East4%

East Asia/Pacif ic27%South Asia

1%

Europe45%

Trends in consumer behavior

• From mass consumption with production oriented to consumer oriented

• Segmented and individualized; postmodern tourist

• Shorter time spans between booking and arrival, more holidays

• Distinctions between work and holiday diminish

• Governance of the Special / Unique

• Dominance of packaged tourism - decreasing, but in 1993 in UK 63% of

outbound holidays sold as packages - parallel segments

• Product competition to channel competition

• From consumer oriented to consumer driven - mass customization; new role of

travel agents

Structure of tourism market

PARTIES INVOLVED IN TOURISM

AIRLINES

• Technologically most advanced sector in the tourism field, with growing

importance due to the tendency to long haul tourism.

• Between 1980 and 1992 scheduled traffic grew by 92%, and the capacity by 94%

with falling prices (due to deregulation, growing capacities, increased

competition)

• Use advanced Yield Management methods. In the USA the number of rates

increased from 400.000 to 7 Mn in the seventies.

• Airlines were among the first companies creating worldwide electronic networks,

for the means of selling and distribution, for internal management and operations.

• Economic problems in this area. For example, the average load factor on

international services fell from 64% in 1989 to 59% in 1992, which is below that

level at which airlines can break even after interest payment .

• In this sector we also include other technologically advanced companies:

– Other types of transport suppliers (car rentals, railways, maritime industry)

– Enterprises such as credit or media companies (transaction or content).

HOTEL CHAINS

Conceptually, huge and powerful suppliers the same group as the SME structured

overnight facilities.

• This group is situated both on the intermediary as well as the supply side since

many chains represent marketing and operation units, where the accommodation

is owned by a different unit.

• This market is dominated by US multinational corporations, which in 1992 owned

13 of the top 20 chains.

• These chains focus on the higher priced market segment, with well-established

reservation centers.

• They have learned to cooperate. In 1989 70 major hotel brands established

THISCO as a computer switch to provide a common electronic booking interfaces

to their hotel central reservation systems worldwide.

• With 18 Mn reservations per year and 3.2 Bn USD in room revenue generated,

they represent 60% of the worldwide market share.

• The main function is to purchase and to assemble a large number components

produced by the principals, and to sell these as packaged products.

• They act as whole-salers, performing nearly as virtual enterprises since the value

they add to a product is the aggregation process.

• They conduct the main marketing and distribution activities and have part of the

financial risk of unsold stocks.

TOUR OPERATOR

• One of the main advantages for suppliers is that tour operators have a good

market access, well known brands and that the financial risk can be passed on, at

least partially.

• It is the advantage of the tour operator, and of the consumer, that by the

bargaining power of tour operators lower prices can be achieved.

• In Europe, in 1992 one third of total travel expenditures fell into this category. In

Germany and in the UK roughly half of all holidays sold were packaged.

• In specific destinations the percentage of packaged holidays is not that high (in

Tyrol, Austria, nearly 70 % of the tourists are “direct” bookers).

• Tour operators show several important features: they own brands well known in

the tourism sector and they have the knowledge about product aggregation and

marketing.

• They experience a fierce competition and have a rather limited control over the

quality of the product.

• Travel agents act as a distributor, broker or retailer on behalf of the suppliers,

their main contact with the supply side is the tour operator.

• Their income is done on the base of a commission, a percentage of the product

price. These are designed in such a way that travel agents should prefer specific

operators and/or systems.

• They are the main point of contact for consumers.

• They are small and medium enterprises, being under pressure by commission

reduction strategies of both airlines and tour operators.

CRS/GDS

• They are part of the international electronic distribution network constituted by

the CRS/GDS. By the means of these systems they may also access products of

tour operators, perform reservation as well as billing tasks.

• The use of these systems has increased their productivity and sales (In Germany

travel agents introducing the German START system, they could lower their

traditional communication costs by 22%, while increasing their turnover by 17%).

• But linking to a specific distribution channel also creates dependencies.

• CRS/GDS are product of the 1960

• Main electronic interface on the travel and tourism market (“switch” between

suppliers and intermediaries on side and travel agents on the other side).

• As the result of a permanent concentration process four major systems, e.g.,

Amadeus, Galileo, Sabre, Worldspan, have been established.

• Their shareholders are mainly airlines, since the management of airline seats and

their distribution constitute their origin.

• Today they also contain other products such as other transport means,

accommodation - mainly from hotel chains -, and tour operator products. These

products are integrated by links to the respective reservation systems of

intermediaries or suppliers.

• Their development shows failures to establish co-operative infrastructures on a

broader scale, which was tried several times. For example, Amadeus and Galileo

have been initiated as competing European systems after talks failed to reach

consensus on just one system.

• Good example of competing electronic marketplaces - most referenced examples

that early adopters of information technology can occupy a strategically dominant

position . In 1992 these systems had over 98% of the entire market.

• The emergence of the CRS coincided with the deregulation of the US airfares.

Subsequently prices were lowered on many routes and the airlines improved their

yield management operations, i.e. they flexibly adjusted pricing (and schedules

and routes).

• This led to an increasing complexity (and intransparency) of fares.

• It has been expected that the number of flights booked via travel agents would be

diminished by the CRS, however, the opposite effect happened. Because of the

increasing complexity of airfares more passenger turned to a travel agent to book

their flights.

• This shows that electronic markets may lead to disintermediation but at the same

time they may also induce increasing intermediation, depending on the price

volatility and transparency and added value the (new) intermediaries can provide.

• These systems represent a very influential part of the market. Sabre Travel

International, for example, employs 1.800 persons, covers 45 Mn of prices,

contains 650 airline companies and performs 2.000 transactions per second.

DMOs

The tasks of DMOs are manyfold:

– they are responsible for destination management,

– planning activities,

– marketing/branding of the entire destination,

– training and education,

– and they are very often also engaged in the daily operation.

– Their objective is to promote a destination's tourism by maintaining the

social, cultural, economic and environmental basis, having thus also a

political function.

• They are often genuine governmental institutions.

• They have to represent all suppliers in a democratic way, without preferencing a

single group.

• Normally they are paid by tourism related taxes.

• And: normally excluded from reservation activities.

• Marketing a tourism destination is not simple - a destination is a very complex

product :

– Marketing only one of the influences on tourism. It is difficult to assess

the impact of marketing on the arrival of visitors. Destination

organisations cannot control the other factors, but must respond to them.

– Many other organisations which do marketing. The marketing expenditure

of a NTO makes up only a small part of the total tourism marketing

expenditure in the country. Destination organisations cannot control, only

try to influence the marketing by third parties.

– Limited influence over the supply of products. Destination organisations

also have very limited control over the kind, quantity and quality of

tourism services.

– Only a large budget will make an impact. In an image-creating

promotional strategy may be waste of money if the marketing objectives

cannot be achieved.

• All these factors make it very difficult to assess how effective the marketing

activities are.

• Though the specific institutional implementation may differ from country to

country, nearly all destinations have DMOs.

• Special support especially for the SME structured tourism industry where smaller

suppliers have limited financial opportunities.

• Impementation: a kind of a hierarchical network

– starting at the lowest level with the local tourist boards,

– regional level within the regional tourist board

– national tourist board with its international outlets.

• From a formal decision making point of view, none of these bodies has a real

direct influence on the other ones

• The governance model is based on cooperation and negotiation

• Leads also to rather slow and very often non very transparent decision processes.

• Tourist boards can be seen as a non-computerized information system

– gathering information about the local, regional or national tourist product

and distributing this information worldwide.

– On the other hand they also have to deliver information to the local

suppliers, informing them about current trends, the general market

situation and national and international competition.

• IT raise some important questions:

– DMOs are, with some notable exceptions, not prepared for this

development,

– The dynamics of the on-line market questions their functional limitation to

marketing tasks only: the consumer, once identified the proper product,

wants to buy it.

– Consumer ask which product is best for their needs, they do not want just

information about “objective” product attributes, but also some specific

advice (Problem in Austria).

– Tourist boards start partnerships with private companies, or they set up

their own companies dedicated to these tasks.

TECHNOLOGY & TOURISM

Tourism in its present form is a post war phenomenon developed essentially as a

consequence of technological developments in the fields of automibiles, railways, ships,

aircrafts, computers and communication systems. Although sails were the earliest means

of transport, the invention of steam powered automobile by Nicholas Joseph Cugnot in

1769, the assembly of the first commercial steamer by Robert Fulton in 1807 and the

production of first successful locomotive by George Stephenson in 1814 introduced

several means of mass transport. It was, however, the advent of air transportation during

twentieth century which revolutionalised the phenomenon of international tourism. It

reduced the distances between the nations to a matter of few hours.

The developments in computer and communication technologies have made it possible to

have rental cars with computerised driving directions and self-service video-terminals at

rental counters in high traffic airports. Fully automated rental transaction systems n —

National's "Smart Key" machine and Budget's "Remote Transaction Book" came into

existence. Yet another major contribution of technological developments in computers

and communication systems to tourism is the computerised reservation systems (CRS).

These systems can now inform subscribers about schedules, fares and seat availability,

issue tickets and boarding passes, record bookings, maintain waiting lists, display

preferred airlines or classes, search for the lowest fare available or the first available non-

stop flight and calculate fares for domestic and international itineraries. The system can

also make reservations for other services like hotels, car rentals, cruises, railways, tours,

boat charters, theartres and sporting events.

Information Needs in Tourism

Travel is a basic human instinct. Technological revolutions in the last few decades and

the consequent changes in the social systems accelerated its intensity in the current

century. Thus, tourism is presently a mass phenomenon involving every human being in

the world. They need detailed information about each place they intend to visit. The

specific elements of such information needs are :

Geographical information on location, climate, landscape, etc.

Attraction features

Social customs, culture and other special features of the place

Accessibility though air, water, rail and road and availability of scheduled means

of transport

Accommodation, restaurant and shopping facilities

Activities and entertainment facilities

Seasons of visit and other unique features

Quality of facilities and their standard prices including exchange rates

Entry and exit formalities and restrictions if any on tourists, etc.

Though the ultimate users of this information are the consumers ie. the tourists, the actual

benefits in money terms accrue to the tourism industry consisting of the destination

managers and service providers. There is, therefore, a strong competition amongst

various destination countries in the world to produce and package such information in the

most attractive format to attract the consumers from the tourist generating countries. The

travel intermediaries like travel agents, tour operators, and reservation system store such

information in respect of each destination to service their clients and improve their

business. They need the information in the easiest retrieval format so that the information

needs of the clients are met as quickly as possible.

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (IT) AND THE TOURISM SECTOR

Traditional technologies

Inter-organisational systems (IOS) represent one use of IT and allow the transfer of

information across organization boundaries. In the past electronic data interchange (EDI)

and electronic funds transfer (EFT) have been the technologies to enter into IOS. The

standards required for EDI and the high set up costs have tended to act as a barrier for

Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) to enter into IOS. Tourism is dominated by the

need to provide fast and accurate information to the consumer. The first step to achieve

this goal of a one-stop service is via global

distribution systems (GDS), a form of IOS. GDS evolved from computer reservation

systems and enable the aggregation of information from airlines which enables travel

agents (as information brokers) and tourists to ‘make reservations and order other

services in a single marketplace’ (Joo, 2002, p. 60). Examples of GDS are Sabre, Galileo,

Amadeus and Worldspan. There is increasing debate concerning the long term viability

of the large GDSs (Squires 2005). The systems themselves are dated, based on 1960s

architecture and code, never intended for use with the Internet and as proprietary legacy

systems are difficult to interface with existing modern computer and network

architectures (Dogac et al. 2004; Squires 2005) Chains of hotels (tier 1 players) generally

have in place integration of the Property Management System (PMS) with the corporate

Central Reservation System (CRS) and GDS. CRS integration allows for individual

properties to benefit from the extensive reach of the chains marketing network and to

allow for cross selling amongst properties within the chain. GDS integration allows chain

properties to extend their reach beyond that of their chain marketing network. This

interoperability of systems is an example of collaboration around IT (known as

collaborative commerce), especially the CRS which has been the most commonly used

Wide Area Network (WAN) application in hotels (Brooks, 1999). This extends insofar as

some independent hotels link to a GDS such as Sabre. Interoperable systems already exist

in chains, but do not exist amongst independent hotels. Independents appear to resort to

subscription to affiliate reservation networks that allow non-chain properties to

participate as overflow facilities (Kasavana & Brooks 2001) rather than network amongst

themselves. In this way “independents (are able) to maintain their individuality and

distinctive methodology, while still benefiting from the economies of scale that an

affiliation with a larger group of likeminded properties can offer” (Travel Impact

Newswire, edition 81, 1 December 2004, p.3). Softwares that are available to facilitate

such sharing of information as well as the Internet and the semantic web are means by

which this can be achieved.

The Internet and tourism

The Internet is especially relevant to tourism since it enables knowledge about the

consumer or tourist to be gathered, as well as vice versa. This gives ‘rise both to global

visibility of destinations and a global merging of market segments’ The use of web-based

tourist information systems has grown significantly. In 1996, 3.1 million consumers used

these systems and this jumped to 33.8 million consumers in 1998. It was predicted that by

2008, 30% of the whole tourism business will be Internet based. Travel revenues on the

Internet have consistently ranked highly in comparison withother goods and services. The

reasons cited for this prominence relate to the richness and currency of information

provided online and the breadth of the audience as well as the intensity of competition

and the emergence of new players with countless web sites supported by efficient

transaction support. Online technologies within the tourism industry have significantly

impacted on communications, transactions and relationships between the various industry

operators and with the customer, as well as between regulators and operators

These changes, which apply equally to the tourism sector, are:

1. the ability to turn ideas into marketable innovation for a wide range of

customers, with reduced buyer search costs and costs of access to markets;

2. increased speed to market and access to new product offerings via the Internet;

3. changed processes and the sharing of information within and between organisations;

and

4. a shift in the balance of power between suppliers and customers due to the increased

availability of information.

The issues raised above point to the benefits emanating from IT, especially the Internet.

The first two factors have been discussed elsewhere. It is the third and fourth that will

be considered here. The third point outlined above essentially makes ‘vertical

disintegration’ of the value chain easier as the integration of electronic processes within

and between firms is easier to achieve. This integration can take many forms, to its full

extent collaborative commerce (c-commerce), and mean that ‘it may no longer be

necessary for a firm to own a process in order to control. This control may rather be

achieved via the establishment of relationships between organisations. This is associated

with various forms of collaboration or business networks that may emerge. The fourth

point demonstrates the extra choice available to the buyer – therefore shifting the

‘balance of power’ to them since they can research their purchase and compare the

offerings of competitors. The tourist has more choice when buying travel products also

because of the options provided by on-line travel agents and direct marketing by airlines.

Increasingly tourists are becoming more computer savvy and are expecting to be able to

experience the destination ‘virtually’. The advent of intermediaries such as distressed

web sites online means that tourists are willing to delay making their reservations online

and are more price conscious. Other changes in the way they consumers behave –

preferring to take shorter holidays with decisions made more spontaneously – have the

effect of placing more pressure on tourist operators who need to be more flexible in their

offerings and in the way they relate to the market.

Benefits of the Internet

Benefits from IT, particularly the Internet for tourism, are substantial. These benefits are

no longer dependent on proprietary information systems as has been the past experience,

since the Internet is a commonly available technology. Dogac, et al, (2004) considers the

Internet provides many advantages to players in the tourism industry. Some of these

benefits are:

• enhanced level of collaboration between tourism operators, for example, between travel

agencies and service providers;

• pre-arrangements with respective suppliers no longer necessary;

• web service discovery will identify alternatives, enabling holiday packages to be

constructed;

• greater negotiation of service to be purchased and customization of services/activities;

and

• generally greater levels of interoperability with internal and external

applications.

Whether these benefits have come to pass remains to be seen. Their realization requires a

new approach to be adopted by operators in the industry, particularly for SMTEs. The

question is whether they recognise these potential spin-offs and are able to take

advantage of them. They all point to the need for greater levels of IT adoption to be more

flexible and responsive to the market, or collaboration with other players to achieve a

‘one-stop’ planning and booking experience desired by the tourist. Figure 2 – Framework

depicting tourist operators and potential interplay of IT between operators. As the above

diagram indicates (Figure 2), many businesses or tourism operators are loosely connected

over the internet so as to endeavour to serve the tourist’s needs, providing the seamless

integration of information necessary to plan and book a travel experience. Potentially the

Internet overcomes the barriers SMTEs especially have experienced re accessing GDS

and CRM, yet it is considered more progress is needed in this regard. This is because it

enables individual tourist operators to link their web sites and present a complete ‘virtual

tourism experience’ (Palmer & McCole, 2000, p. 200). Gonzalez et al., (2004) suggests a

coming together of or cooperation amongst small players is required to generate

‘coherent heterogeneity’ – differentiation amongst the players in the midst of providing

an integrated tourist offering.

Issues raised by the Internet

The internet has resulted in a proliferation of many ineffective html document based web

sites (Palmer & McCole, 2000) with small and medium tourist enterprises (SMTEs)

possessing inadequate skills and insufficient resources to conduct web site effectively. A

Yahoo search reveals in excess of 250,000 tourist oriented websites. This exponential

growth in the number of tourist related web sites means a ‘lack of notoriety in a saturated

market’ (Gonzalez et. al., 2004, p.2). The internet reduces distribution costs as

intermediaries commissions are eliminated, however this is frustrated by the emergence

of intermediaries, the squeeze on price, yield and revenue and the homogeneity of web

sites. It is not clear that individual SMTEs are able to use this business intelligence, or

recognise its value. If so, information may be lost and not acted upon. A sharing of

information, either in a centralised or in a more collaborative manner would assist in the

use this ‘asset’ of information and knowledge. The internet is a commonly available

technology, however awareness of itsfunctionality and resources and expertise to take

advantage of this functionality is required. It is observed that many SMTEs either are not

aware of this or do not possess or have ready access to resources need to make the most

of the opportunities potentially available. For these benefits and others to be achieved

however, and so full exploitation of web services, ‘it is necessary to introduce semantics

to web services’. The semantic web which is an extension of the World Wide Web, is

designed to bring structure and meaning to the vast array of information available on the

World Wide Web. In bringing this structure, the web creates knowledge which is readily

accessible by both humans and machines (eg software agents, artificial intelligence)

(Berners-Lee, Hendler & Lassila 2001). The structure imposed by semantic webs is

achieved through the imposition of an ontology to give meaning to information. The

ontologies created by semantic web users allow machines to process and “understand”

this information by specifying ‘standard terms and machine readable definitions’ (Heflin

& Huhns 2003, p. 30) which allows the automation of web document processing. These

issues however go beyond the scope of this paper.

Intermediaries

Collaboration around the Internet is a way for tourist operators, such as hotels, to deal ith

excess capacity and increase occupancy rates quickly. This already occurs within many

chains and is evident in the participation in intermediaries or distressed websites such as

needitnow.com, Travelocity.com; whatif.com and others. Three reasons have been

identified for this change in the distribution of hotel rooms: - a lack of understanding of

hoteliers of how the Internet and online distribution works;

- hospitality lags other tourism sectors in adopting the Internet as a distribution medium.

Hotels were unprepared to deal with boom in online bargain hunting and bookings;

- exploitation by intermediaries of the situation following 9/11 as hoteliers looking to

increase revenues via increased occupancy relied on intermediaries to promote their

product.

Starkov (2002, p. 3) estimates that by 2010 around 18-18% of revenues for hotels will

come from hotel bookings made on the Internet, compared to the current 8 – 10% of

revenues. The active role of these intermediaries may be viewed as a positive

development for the industry. Online bookings are more cost effective, tend to attract

more affluent customers and reduce reliance on more expensive distribution channels.

Room occupancy rises as vacancies are effectively ‘sold’ online at short notice. However

a closer analysis of the impact of this reveals a loss of control by tourist operators and a

tradeoff between occupancy rates at the expense of yield and the associated RevPAR.

Yield represents the return to the business resulting from its operations. RevPAR

represents the revenue achieved per available room. The aim of a hotelier is to maximise

yield and RevPAR. It is clear that selling rooms via distressed websites at a cheaper rate

increases occupancy but has a negative impact on the other indices. The long term impact

is brand erosion in terms of quality following downward pressure on room rates. Starkov

(2002) suggests that by 2005 around 54% of hotel online bookings will be direct sales

reflecting a greater role of online intermediaries in the reservation process. Hoteliers,

‘have difficulty maintaining market share and finding the right formula to deal with

online discounters and intermediaries’ Starkov (2002, p. 1), demonstrating a lack of

internet strategy and ineffective e-Distribution approaches. Hotels need to transfer their

direct sales expertise to the web environment. Realisation of the need to develop a direct

web distribution strategy is critical as hoteliers seek to deal successfully with online

intermediaries. Distressed web sites have a role to play in distribution, however should

not be the only web distribution channel. If a hotel has not developed a direct web

distribution plan it will only appear on the internet via distressed web sites which as

discussed erodes its quality. A total online distribution strategy therefore is needed with a

direct-to-consumer distribution model at the centre of the strategy, such as adopted by the

airline industry.

IT and collaboration – business networks

Increasingly business network behaviour is becoming more prominent in research and is

of interest to the tourism industry. A sharing of information, either in a centralized or

more collaborative way, would assist in maximization of the value of information and

knowledge. Scholars have identified the need for greater collaboration in the industry

(Piccoli, 2004; Joo, 2002; Palmer & McCole, 2000; Werthner & Klein, 1999a),

recognising the need to exploit technologies to become more responsive to the market.

This collaboration is made possible by the spawning of online technologies, IT being a

critical driver of integration and co-operation (Joo, 2002). This integration though

requires internal integration of processes and systems as well as externally with other

organisations and this has acted to impede co-operation in the past. Figure 3 shows the

interplay around the Internet in the tourism industry.

Examples of the IT Developments in the Tourism Sector

Internet Forums

An Internet forum is ‘an online facility that provides local businesses with an internet

portal using the locale, or an industry particular to the locale, as the unique selling point,

or common brand’ (Galloway, Mochrie & Deakins 2004, p. 250). This acts as an anchor

providing more of a profile to entice visitors to the web site that represents the location or

destination. Galloway, Mochrie & Deakins (2004) have examined how the development

of internet-based virtual business forums assists tourist operators in rural areas. Whilst

studies have identified the benefits of the use of Internet amongst SMTEs in such rural

and regional areas, these authors argue that there is little evidence to suggest that this is

being converted into action. Reasons cited for a lower uptake of the Internet in more

remote reasons are several and are discussed in a number of papers (Thomas, Sparkes,

Brooksbank & Williams 2002; Huggins & Izushi 2002; Leatherman 2000; Gray & Juhler

2000; Martin & McKeown 1993). Yet the Internet offers the potential to overcome the

disadvantages that remote locations raise. Impediments to SMTE adoption of e-

commerce need to be revisited and addressed to encourage the use of IT and to seek to

reduce the impact of the digital divide. By developing a strategic approach that adopts a

clear identity focusing on the destination and its features encapsulated in an integrated

way.

The Internet as a facilitator of collaboration

In their study Palmer & McCole (2000) examine independent businesses with unique

resource locators (URLs) located in one region. They then followed links out of those

sites to identify the extent to which such sites were linked. Little evidence was found to

show the use of websites for cooperative tourism in the study area. They concluded there

was a lack of cooperative initiatives between tourist operators in the region of interest.

This study is of interest since lessons can be learned for consideration in other regions to

promote tourist destinations.

The Internet and Cultural Tourism – the MEDINA project

Cultural tourism is a good example of the way in which online technologies have been

influential as its emergence has been fostered by the Internet. Cultural tourism focuses on

the presentation of an areas cultural heritage, ranging from environmental attractions

through historical, artistic, archaeological and folkloric components. A specific example

of this form of tourism is the MEDINA (Mediterranean by Internet access) project started

in 2002, due for completion in 2005, which established a cultural web portal for fourteen

Mediterranean countries (Garzotto et al. 2004) Access to the portal by a tourist is

achieved through mobile devices (e.g. personal digital assistants or smartphones) and

allows the tourist to make informed decisions concerning cultural sights. The emergence

of artificial intelligence and mobile computing, have empowered the consumer of tourism

services. Mobile devices are increasingly being used by tourists as electronic personal

tour guides.

INTERNET

Tourists generally need both static and dynamic information. Information on those

features which do not change rapidly over time is termed as static information. It includes

details information about location, climate, attraction features, history, facilities available,

etc. Information about airline, train and bus schedules, tariffs of transport and

accommodation units and current availability of such facilities is considered as dynamic

as they can change very frequently. These items of information have to be gathered,

stored and disseminated on a real time basis. All types of reservation systems including

air, rail and accommodation sectors contain such information.

Aplication of Information Technologies

Till a few years ago, the basic sources of information in the tourism sector were

pamphlets, brochures, directories, guide books, etc. produced and published by different

countries. These sources prevail even today, though they are the most inefficient means

of information. The last few decades witnessed the application of computer and

communication technologies in the field of tourism. Two distinct streams of information

sources viz, (i) online and (ii) offline came into existence. Databases containing

information about places, tourist attractions and facilities became available for online

access in several countries. The emergence of computerised reservations system (CRS)

like Galileo, Amadeus, Sabre, PARS, JALCOM, QAMTAM and ABASUS, etc. opened

up a new source of online information on tourism and are being expanded continuously.

The latest sources of online information is INTERNET which contains some pages on

most of the tourist destinations in the world. The CD-ROM technology also took the

tourism industry by storm. CD titles which came in the market during the initial period

mostly contained geographical information. Soon multimedia CDs on specific tourism

products made their appearance. Several such titles are presently available in the market.

The next few years are likely to witness a rapid growth in CD titles covering every aspect

of tourism due to improved marketing efforts and increased competitions. Further hotel

management and catering technology is fast emerging as an area of information

technology application in the field of tourism.

The Indian Scenario

In India, the Department of Tourism took the first initiative to introduce information

technology in tourism in the year 1989 by establishing TOURNET with the technical

assistance of CMC Ltd. The network consisted of 35 information nodes installed in the

field offices of the Department of Tourism located in different parts of the country. Each

node contained a CD-drive apart from the usual configuration of floppy drives and hard

discs. Each node was provided with a CD containing textual database on all the major

tourist destinations in the country. Recently, multimedia databases on tourism have been

developed by Rajasthan and Maharashtra Tourism Departments with the assistance of

some of the private software development firms. Apart from the government initiatives, a

few private firms are also active in the field and a few CDs on Indian tourism are already

available through their efforts. The Central Department of Tourism is presently trying to

tie-up with some of the private software development firms to produce a series of

multimedia CDs covering all the tourist destinations in India. The intention is to bring out

a marketable product for sale within India and abroad. In the online field, the CRS

Amadeus and PARS are already operational in India. Amadeus was established in 1993

and PARS came in 1995. INTERNET facilities are also presently available in India.

The Problems and Issues

The problems and issues concerning information technology applications in tourism are

the following:

Tourism in India is relatively young and is not well organised to absorb the advances in

information technology. They generally lack technical and financial resources and their

scale of operation it too limited to take advantage of information technology. There has

not been any specific policy or co-ordinated approach so far for the development of

information products on tourism at the national level. It is yet to be evolved and

implemented. The information industry in India presently consists of a few software

development firms, and some information centres in the Government sector. However,

there are no database vendors in India who prepare their own databases and market them.

In the absence of such units, all efforts are Government dominated and the products are

generally not available in the market. It is, therefore, essential to provide adequate

Government support and incentives for the development of such industries in India.

PCI( Payment Card Industry)

Compliance stands for “Payment Card Industry” Compliance which are a set of security

standards development by the credit card brands (Visa and Mastercard) to protect

customer credit card data.  You have probably heard in the past about system being

hacked and credit cards numbers being stolen by cyber thieves. 

TOURISM IN INDIAN

The Tourism sector of Indian economy is at present experiencing a huge growth. The

Tourism sector of Indian economy has become one of the major industrial sectors under

the Indian economy. The tourism industry earns foreign exchanges worth Rs. 21,828

crore. Previous year the growth rate of the tourism sector of Indian economy was

recorded as 17.3% .

The growth in the tourism industry is due to the rise in the arrival of more and more

foreign tourists and the increase in the number of domestic tourists. Tourists from Africa,

Australia, Lain America, Europe, Southeast Asia, etc are visiting India and their are

growing by the thousands every year.

Indian Tourism offers a potpourri of different cultures, traditions, festivals, and places of

interest. There are a lot of options for the tourists. India is a country with rich cultural and

traditional diversity. This aspect is even reflected in its tourism. The different parts of the

country offers wide variety of interesting places to visit. While the international tourism

is experiencing a decelerated growth, the Indian counterpart is not affected.

The factors for the growth of the Tourism sector of Indian economy Increase in the

general income level of the populace Aggressive advertisement campaigns on the tourist

destinations Rapid growth of the Indian economy The objectives of the National Action

Plan for Tourism Socio economic development of areas Increase in the opportunities for

employment Development of the domestic tourism for the middle class segment of the

society Preservation and restoration of the national heritage and environment

Developing international tourism Promotion of tourism based product diversification

Increasing the Indian share in global tourism Some of the important tourist destinations

in India Tourism in India has registered significant growth in the recent years. In 1951,

International Tourist Arrivals stood at around 17 thousand only while the same has now gone up

to 3.91 million in 2005.

Tourism in India has received a major boost in the past decade since the Indian

Government realized the great potential of tourism of India during vacations. Tourism

of India during vacations has grown by leaps and bounds with a great influx of tourists

from throughout the world who have been irresistibly attractive to the travelers.

India has the right tourism potential and attractions to captivate all types of tourists

whether it is adventurous tour, cultural exploration, pilgrimages, visit to the beautiful

beaches or to the scenic mountain resorts, Tourism of India has it all for you.

Travel through Indian states and cities brings to light, the cultural and the

geographical richness of India. We provide you a glimpse to the richness of tourism in

India with information on all the major tourist destinations of India and tourism

services of India that will take care of all your problems while you are in India.

Beaches of India

Andhra Pradesh Andaman and NicobarGoa Gujarats

Kerala Karnataka Lakshadweep Islands Maharashtra

Orissa Tamil Nadu PondicherryShell Beaches in

India

Family Beaches of

IndiaBeaches In Daman and Diu

Thousands of sun-deprived tourists visit India because it incredibly has the most diverse

varieties of beaches anywhere in the world. Placid backwaters and lagoons, bays and

rough lava-rocked seas, marine estuaries with fish, crashing surf, powdery golden sand or

palm fringed shores - Incredible India has them all.

The West Coast with the Arabian Sea and the East Coast with the Bay of Bengal offer

many a verdant vistas to the traveller. The coasts of India have their own seafood cuisine,

relaxing spas, diving and water sports and great places to stay for a balmy holiday.

Kovalam undoubtedly is one of India's best sea resorts. The long coastline lined with

swaying coconut palm trees dotted with an occasional fishing hamlet is fast developing

into one of the world's finest string of beaches. The sea applauds the beach temple in

Mahabalipuram, gloriously silhouetted against the spectrum of the seven colours in the

sky. Puri, on the East Coast, is surely one of the world's most picturesque beaches. And

then there is Digha, a three-hour drive out of Kolkata, a beautiful beach, splendid in its

isolation.

The beach holiday to beat them all is in the Isles of Andaman and Nicobar and

Lakshwadeep, where you can see the myriad colours of the flashy fish in the coral reefs

from above the green waters.

Now fully developed as an international beach resort, Goa offers the best holiday villages

on its beaches. Everything about Goa is spellbinding from the landscape dotted with

Portuguese architecture, to the way of life that exudes an irresistible Old World charm.

Anjuna or Calangute Beach, and Miramar Bay in Panjim are quieter. Beach vendors sell

all manner of kitsch in Anjuna and Calangute. You can rent beach mats and mattresses,

sunglasses, and the usual tourist paraphernalia. You can even get all sorts of spaghetti,

German bread and Italian food. The beach at Calangute is rocky. At Anjuna the waters

are gentle and offer opportunities for boat rides, sea scooter rides, spot-the-dolphins rides,

and motorboat rides. Colva and Benaulim are quieter and less crowded than Anjuna. The

Fort Aguada beach offers gorgeous views that merit a visit. Sinquerim and Candolim are

also quiet beaches that afford anonymity.

Whether it's the isolated horizons of the Konkan Coast or the Arabian Sea; the golden

sands or the water drenched seashores, every beach in India makes a picture perfect

holiday destination.

Beaches of India

Beaches in Andhra Pradesh

With nearly 1000-kms of naturally enriched coastline, out of the twenty-three districts of

Andhra Pradesh, eight are have direct access to the sea. The beaches of Andhra's coast are pure,

unspoiled and ideal for a beach holiday. The sands soaked with golden sunshine are ideal for

travellers seeking a healthy tan in the most natural surroundings.

Bheemunipatnam Beach - matchless for its beauty, safest beach sites in Andhra Pradesh

state, finest sea resorts of India, known as Bheemli.

Ramakrishna Beach - very picturesque site contrast from the busy city life of

Vishakhaptnam.

Manginapudi Beach - must visit place with some of the most mesmerizing scenic sites, a

historic port city, popular health resort, ideal picnic spot in Andhra Pradesh.

Mypad Beach - one of the most luring sites for beach lovers.

Rishikonda Beach - golden, unspoilt beach ideal for water sports lovers, especially

swimmers, water skiers, and wind surfers.

Beaches of India

Beaches in Andaman and Nicobar Islands

Andaman & Nicobar the most unique Island state of India with beaches and coastal areas still

untouched and unspoilt makes it an ideal beach holiday destination. Even if there aren't many

beach resorts present on these tropical islands, still the climate and isolation has given these

islands a prominence among the best tropical beach islands and a paradise of exquisite marine

life.

Corbyn's Cove And Chirya Tapu - picturesque beach, ideal for sea bathing and sun-

basking.

Radhnagar & Vijaynagar Beach - real exposures of unpolluted nature of Andman &

Nicobar Islands for an environment lover.

Harminder Bay Beach - beautiful beaches 100-km from Port Blair connected by Inter

Island shipping services.

Karmatang Beach - turtle nesting ground being developed as tourist complex in northern

part of Middle Andaman

Ramnagar Beach - sandy beach situated at Diglipur Islands connected by two daily boat

services from Mayabunder and from Port Blair twice a week.

Beaches of India

Beaches in Goa

The world famous beaches of Goa are the highlights of travel in this state, making Goa the

premier beach vacation destination. The first beach stop over in Goa is Anjuna beach also

famous for its flea market and rave parties, then the Baga and Dona Paula beaches that can

make any beach holiday a memorable one. 100-km long coastline gives an enthusiastic beach

lover an opportunity to discover new secluded beach sites every day.

Anjuna Beach - fluorescent painted palm trees and infamous full moon parties, 8 km

west of Mapusa, most "alternative", the dancing and lying on the beach, famous flea

market.

Baga Beach - watch the sun go down in isolation, 10-km west of Mapusa, basically an

extension of Calangute wooded headland.

Dona Paula - fine view of the Marmagao Harbour nestled on the south side of the

headland that divides the Zuari and Mandovi estuaries, former fishing village, today's

commercialised beach resort, idyllic spot to relax and sunbathe.

Calangute Beach - Goa's busiest and most commercialised resort. During the 70's and

80's this peaceful fishing village became the favourite haunt of the hippies.

Benaulim Beach - sea is safe for swimming generally jellyfish-free, village area near

beach side boasts a few serviceable bars and restaurants, various culinary delights of the

seafood, most succulent, competitively priced seafood in Goa.

Cavelosim Beach - last major settlement in southwest Salcete, visit to Mabor, South Goa

largest, and most obtrusive, package tourist enclave.

Chapora Beach - a lot busier than most north coast villages, dependent on fishing and

boat building, many regular cafes and restaurants

Condolim Beach - good options to stay offering better value, a good first stop to head

North.

Bogmolo Beach - a small-scale beach resort, reasonably safer site for swimming, quite

good eating joints and shopping options.

Miramar Beach - just 3-km away from the capital city of Panjim.

Pololem Beach - a favourite beach destination, crescent shaped bay, swaying curtain of

coconut palms, irresistibly photogenic, beautiful beach huts.

Vagator Beach - cool rural area, no big shopping complexes.

Varca Beach - community of Christian fisher folk, palm thatched long houses, grassy

dunes.

Beaches of India

Beaches in Kerala

Kerala beaches may be take a backseat because of the backwaters, but entire 900-km length of

the Kerala coast is lined with sandy beaches, rocky promontories and coconut palms that

definitely merit a visit in every tourist itinerary. Touring the beach sites of Kovalam can make

any beach holiday a delightful one, as Kerala's beaches are renowned for the gentle surf and

blue waters. Beach travel has never before been so exciting!

Kovalam Beach - small village along the shoreline, fabulous beaches, most popular is

the Lighthouse Beach, the northern most Samudra beach, least affected.

Marari Beach - one of the local fishing villages, completely new to the holidaymaker,

endless miles of superb sand beaches backed by swaying palms, virgin territory, local

charm and traditional Kerala

Kumarakom Beach - cluster of little islands on the Vembanad Lake, part of the Kuttanad

region. The bird sanctuary spread across 14 acres is a favourite haunt of migratory birds

and an ornithologist's paradise. Birds include Egrets, darters, herons, teal, waterfowl,

cuckoo, wild duck and migratory birds like the Siberian storks. The best way to watch

the birds of the Kumarakom sanctuary is a boat trip.

Alappuzha Beach - a popular hangout and relaxation spot, around 140 years old pier that

extends in to the sea, lagoons, vast lakes and numerous fresh water rivers, Alappuzha is

a natural wonderland.

Beypore Beach - prominent ports and fishing harbours of ancient Kerala, also known for

its ancient ship building industry.

Varkala Beach - the most popular beach resorts in Kerala, mineral water springs with

medicinal properties, also an important Hindu pilgrimage centre.

Fort Kochi Beach - historic fort, leisurely walk through the lanes of the city to learn

about eventful colonial history and European regimes who ruled it.

Kappad Beach in Kerala - Vasco da Gama landed on its shores on 27th May 1498 with

170 men in three vessels. A pillar with inscription "Vasco Da Gama landed here,

Kappakkadavau in the year 1498" stands on the beach. The beach here is very calm with

a stretch of rocks projecting into the sea.

Dharmadam Island - beautiful beach island, coconut palms, green bushes, breathtaking

sight. Permission is required to enter this privately owned island.

Ezhimala Beach - a picturesque site with a hilly backdrop, carved Stone Pillars, an

ancient Burial chamber and an ancient Cave can be seen at the foot of the hills, famous

for medicinal herbs.

Mopila Bay - natural fishing harbour with quite a modernised fishing harbour look, built

with assistance under the Indo-Norwegian pact, ruined fort and temple.

Muzhappilangad Beach - one of the longest beaches in Kerala, also the only drive-in

beach in India.

Pathiramanal Beach - island beach on the Backwaters, a favourite natural hub of

hundreds of rare migratory birds that reside over here from different parts of the land.

Payyambalam Beach - beautiful beach sites, surfing in calm and peaceful waters.

Sankhumugham Beach - breathtaking sunset, a favourite haunt of sunset watchers.

Tanur Beach - coastal fishing town believed to be visited by Francis Xavier in the year

1546 AD.

Thangassery Beach - a seaside village of historic importance, ruins of an old Portuguese

Fort and churches built in the 18th century. 144 feet high Thangaserry Lighthouse open

to visitors from 1530-1730 hours every day.

Thirumullavaram Beach - beautiful beach filled with coconut palms, ideal for an early

morning walk.

Beaches in Maharashtra

Maharashtra is another coastal state of India with a good number of seaside resorts and beach

resorts. If one has a special interest in forts and their history, check out the costal fort sites of

Maharashtra, the perfect place to start on an enlightening heritage tour.

Juhu Beach - one of the largest and frequently visited tourist beaches of India on the

shores of Arabian Sea, mostly famous as the best hangout zone of Mumbai city, famous

Mumbai Bhelpuri and Kulfi.

Marine Drive - Chowpatty Beach - situated in the heart of Mumbai, rich historical link

with the freedom movement, the spot where Lord Ganesha's images are immersed after

the conclusion of the Ganesha Chaturthi festival.

Madh Island Beach - a popular picnic spot, dotted with exquisite bungalows and an

urban aura, the most lavish beach parties held outside Mumbai.

Marve-Manori-Gorai - three beautiful and serene getaways. Marve is a quaint little

fishing village, the nearest and the quietest of the three. Gorai and Manori, a little

further away popular for all night beach parties.

Ganapatipule Beach - a beach with a religious flavour, one of the 'Ashta Ganapati'

pilgrimage sites of India.

Murud - Janjira - a convenient base for the nearby beaches, former capital town of the

Siddis of Janjira, popular for its alluring and spacious beach fringed with palm trees,

two new beach sites of Kashid and Nandgaon nearby.

Baseein - served as an important shipbuilding center, the site of the Portuguese defeat at

the hands of the Marathas, a similar backdrop to that of Goa, one of the best choices to

take some time off from the hectic schedule of city life.

Dahanu-Bordi Beaches - a beautiful seaside in Thane district, vast stretch of unspoilt

beach, coastline 17-km long, Chickoo (fruit) orchids.

Harnai Beach - A very secluded beach site usually the most visited hotspot for the

people of Mumbai and Pune.

Kihim & Mandwa - a beautiful and clean beach, unspoilt and isolated ambience.

Vijaydurg - Sindhudurg - once naval-bases of the Great Chattrapati Shivaji, picturesque

beaches, Vijayadurg fort built by Shivaji in the 17th century.

Shriwardhan - Harihareshwar - an irresistible beach site blessed with gentle winds, soft

sands and inviting waters, attracts beach lovers in large numbers, a splendid place for

seafood lovers

Tarkarli - a secluded golden beach with aquamarine waters.

Velneshwar - beach is clean and natural and is lined with coconut trees, swimming and

other water sports, beach is free from rocks.

Vengurla - Malvan - a beach famous for its long stretch of shimmering sand, thick

cashew, coconut, and jackfruit and mango groves, Vengurla rocks, known as Burnt

Islands.

Beaches in Tamil Nadu

The beaches of Tamil Nadu, the southern most state of India have got a charm of their

own. A must visit is the second longest beach in the world, Marina Beach. Do not miss

the fantastic joyride along vast stretches of sand lashed by the Bay of Bengal. Once the

place of relaxation and sun bathing, Elliot's Beach is now a favourite shooting location

for Tamil movies in Chennai. Your beach vacation is South India won't be complete

without visiting the beaches of Tamil Nadu; India's last coastal destination for rides on

motorized boat or wind surfing.

The travel and tourism sector creates more jobs per million rupees of investment than any

other sector of the economy and is capable of providing employment to a wide spectrum

of job seekers from the unskilled to the specialised, even in the remote parts of the

country. The Tenth Plan approach towards tourism signifies a distinct shift from the

approach adopted in earlier Plans. Apart from acknowledging the wellaccepted

advantages of developing tourism for the promotion of national integration, international

understanding and earning foreign exchange, the Tenth Plan recognises the vast

employment generating potential of tourism and the role it can play in furthering the

socio-economic objectives of the Plan. In order to create a supportive environment for the

promotion of tourism, the New Tourism Policy, 2002, that is to be implemented during

the Tenth Plan, will generate awareness about the benefits of tourism for the host

population. It will mobilise state governments to use tourism as a means for achieving

their socio-economic objectives, encourage the private sector to enhance investment in

tourism and provide legislative and regulatory support for sustainable tourism and to

protect the interests of the industry and the consumer. The policy envisages involving the

rural sector in the promotion of rural, heritage, adventure and eco-tourism and will

promote the development of competitive high quality products and destinations. Most

importantly, it will remove the barriers to growth and resolve contradictions in policy to

achieve inter-sectoral convergence of activities that help the growth of tourism. 7.5.3 The

initiatives taken by the state so far have not yielded the desired result and India’s tourism

performance has failed to match its potential even as countries not blessed with its natural

and cultural endowments have taken the lead in reaping the benefits of tourism

development for their people. The reasons for this poor performance need to be speedily

addressed to enable tourism to make an appropriate contribution to national

development. As observed in the Planning Commission Report of the National

Committee on Tourism (1988), the public sector made a significant contribution to the

growth of tourism in the initial stages of planned development by providing a reasonable

infrastructure base. During the Ninth Plan it was recognised that a reappraisal of the role

of the State in tourism development and the extent of its participation was needed as it is

neither necessary nor feasible for the State to make large investments in areas that are

best left to the initiative of the private sector. The state can contribute through

infrastructure development, the planning of broad development strategies, the provision

of fiscal and monetary incentives to catalyse private sector investment and devise an

effective regulatory and supervisory mechanism to protect the interests of the industry

and the consumer. The acceptance of this view also led to the commencement of the

process of disinvestment in 18 hotels of the India Tourism Development Corporation

(ITDC) hotels. 7.5.5 The ITDC will have to redefine its role in the Tenth Plan. The State

can also play an effective role in ensuring that tourism development does not harm the

environment. The interaction between tourism and environmental pollution requires

sensitive handling. There is comp-lementarity, not conflict, between the high quality

environmental requirements of tourism and the imperatives of maintaining the ecological

balance.

Factors that affect competitiveness

• Lack of concern for competitiveness

• Complex visa procedures

• Inadequate facilitation services

• Lack of quality infrastructure

• Lack of emphasis on product quality

• Lack of training at the ‘cutting edge’

• Lack of hygiene

• Low utilisation of modern marketing and

publicity tools.

Major components of the Tenth Plan strategy

• To develop a national consensus on the role of tourism in the development agenda of

the nation

through the National Development Council.

• To enhance the effectiveness of public sector investment through the inter-sectoral

convergence and

prioritisation of tourism-related infrastructure programmes in other sectors like special

tourist trains,

rail and aviation links, rural roads etc..

• To remove the barriers to growth to leverage private sector investment.

• To mobilise the support of the primary players, viz. the State Governments, in tourism

development.

• To mobilise public support by creating awareness of the socio-economic benefits of

tourism for the

host community.

• To provide legislative and regulatory support to protect the tourism industry, the

consumer and the

environment.

• To involve the rural sector in tourism and start mobile training units for service

providers in rural

areas identified for the development of tourism.

• To augment training facilities in hotel management and food craft and build the

capacity of service

providers at the cutting edge.

• To create world class circuits and destinations, eschew haphazard development.

TOURIST PLACES IN INDIA (beauty of India)

Charminar in Hyderabad Goa beaches

The Himalayan landscape Gol Gumbaz at Bijapur,

Taj Mahal Manali, Himachal Pradesh

Mahabodhi Temple Lotus Temple

Jammu & Kashmir

The temples of Khajuraho Mumbai

Konark Sun Temple The Matrimandir,

Umaid Bhawan Palace Kangchenjunga

Shore Temple Nanda Devi National Parks

Diwan-i-Khas Royal Bengal Tiger in Sundarbans

Havelock Island Andaman and Nicobar Islands

CURRENT INDIAN TOURISM INDUSTRY

This report "Indian Tourism Industry Forecast (2007-2011)"focuses on different

parameters of tourism industry including: inbound tourism, outbound tourism,

expenditure by inbound tourists, and medical tourism in India. It also helps clients to

analyze the opportunities and factors critical to the success of tourism industry in India.

Tourism is the largest service industry in India, with a contribution of 6.23% to the

national GDP and 8.78% of the total employment in India. India witness more than 5

million annual foreign tourist arrivals and 562 million domestic tourism visits. The

tourism industry in India generated about US$100 billion in 2008 and that is expected to

increase to US$275.5 billion by 2018 at a 9.4% annual growth rate. The Ministry of

Tourism is the nodal agency for the development and promotion of tourism in India and

maintains the "Incredible India" campaign.

According to World Travel and Tourism Council, India will be a tourism hotspot from

2009-2018, 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.

Tourism is a growing industry in India that accounts for the larger section of foreign

earnings for our nation. In recent years, the industry has been severely affected because

of the factors terrorism and the troubling situation in Kashmir. The earning through

tourism in India was dropped below than USD 1.5 billion and so the tourism traffic, that

only accounted for 0.5 percent of the total traffic of the world. Unlike past few years,

2009 has shown a sign of improvement in foreign tourist inflow. This has led the industry

to contribute nearly USD 67.3 billion to gross domestic product this year, which is

expected to rise above USD 187.3 billion by 2019. According to Mr Sujit Banerjee, the

Tourism Secretary of India, foreign tourist arrival targets is expected to cross six million

this year. Also, a 24 per cent increase was observed in foreign exchange earnings (FEE)

as compared to previous years. Tourism revenue is expected to grow by 42 percent from

2007 to 2017. After witnessing the positive growth for the first time in 2009, the tourism

ministry has planned to develop three niche products, which are wellness tourism,

caravan tourism and helipad tourism this year. Apart from drawing foreign revenue to the

country, Indian tourism industry is being utilized as a well-planned tool to facilitate

international understanding and enabling building of cultural horizons in a broader way.

The Government of India has already initiated to achieve such objectives by offering

attractive packages to foreign tourists. It has also organized road shows in major markets

of the globe such as the UK, Canada, Australia, Singapore and Malaysia. Within first two

years of the introduction of 11th Five Year Plan, the ministry has sanctioned projects

worth USD 14.27 million. Also, the Tourism ministry is focusing on the safety and

security of the tourists through awareness programs and ad campaigns to entice more

visitors. It is constantly making an appeal to Indian public to take care of their guests

with the true spirit of ‘Atithi Devo Bhava’. India is moving towards its destination of

tourists’ main attraction spot from the phrase ‘Incredible India’. Other services like travel

guides, roads, air-travel, catering, sanitation, transportation and telecommunication are

being operated from professional grounds. This would boost the tourism industry as well

as the economy of the country.

OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY

To study how technology help in tourism.

To study how technology have given pace to tourism.

To study the current position of Indian tourism industry.

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

Information Sources

Information has been sourced from books, newspapers, trade journals, white papers,

industry portals, government agencies, trade associations, by monitoring industry news

and developments, and through access to access to more than 3000 paid databases.

Analysis Methods

The analysis methods include the following: Ratio Analysis, Historical Trend Analysis,

Linear Regression Analysis using software tools, Judgmental Forecasting and Cause and

Effect Analysis. Research Methodology has many dimensions, it include not only

research methods but also considers the logic behind the methods used in the context of

the study and explains why only a particular method of technique had been used so that

research lend themselves to proper evaluations. Thus in a way it is a written game plan

for concluding research therefore in order to solve research problem it is necessary to

design a research methodology for the problem as the same differ from problem to

problem.

Types of Research

Descriptive Research

Descriptive research includes surveys and fact finding enquiries of different kinds. The

major purpose of Descriptive research is description of a state of affairs as it exists at

present.

Analytical Research

In Analytical Research, the researcher has to use facts or information already available,

and analyze these to make a critical evaluation of the material.

Applied Research

Applied research aims at finding a solution for an immediate problem facing a society or

an industrial/business organization.

Fundamental Research

Fundamental research is mainly concerned with generalizations and with the formulation

of a theory.

Quantitative Research

Quantitative research is based on the measurement of quantity or amount. It is applicable

to phenomenon that can be expressed in terms of quantity.

Conceptual research

Conceptual research is that related to some abstract ideas or theory it generally used by

philosophers and thinkers to develop new concepts or to reinterpret existing ones.

Research Design

It is the conceptual structure within which the Research is conducted. Its function is to

provide for the collection of relevant evidence. The present Project work is based on a

descriptive study heavily depending upon Primary Data. Descriptive Research is a

Research method followed in this project, which includes surveys, and fact-findings

Inquires of different kinds. The major purpose of descriptive Research is description of

the state of affairs, as it exists at present.

Research Design:

The research design is a pattern or an outline of a research project . It is a statement only

the essential of a study those provide the basic guidelines for the detail of the project. The

present study being conducted follows a descriptive research design has the data would

be responses from a simple containing g a large numbers of sources .It is a cross section

of the situation design of the descriptive studies including the nature and the analytical

method.

Data Collection

After the research problem has been defied and the research design has been chalked out,

the task of date collection begins. Data can be collected from other secondary sources.

SAMPLING PLANNING

Sampling is an effective step in collection of primary and secondary data and has a great

influence on the quality of the results. The sampling plan includes population, sample

size and sample design.

DATA ANALYSIS:-

PLAN OF ANALYSIS

The data gathered from various sources were primarily studied and necessary data was

sorted out sequentially keeping in mind the procedure of the study. The analysis has been

made by, correlating the FII purchases, sales and net investment with equity market

returns to identify whether a relation exists between them. Findings are included which

transmits the important points, which were gathered from the study.

The data has been analyzed with the help of various graphs like bar graph etc.

Types of Sampling

Probability Sampling

Probability sampling is also known as random sampling or chance sampling. Under this

sampling design, every item of the universe has an equal chance of inclusion in the

sample. Lottery method is a type of probability sampling method. The results obtain from

probability sampling can be assured in term of probability i.e. we can measure the error

of estimation or the significance of result obtain from random sample, and this fact brings

out the superiority of random sampling design over the deliberate sampling design.

Non-Probability Sampling Non-Probability is that sampling procedure which

doesn’t afford any basis for estimating the probability that each item in the po0pulationj

has of being included in the sample. It is also known as deliberate sampling, purposive

sampling and judgment sampling. Quota sampling is an example of Non Probability

sampling.

Methods of Data Collection

Data can be collected from either the Primary or Secondary sources. In this Study

although the Data was collected mainly through Primary sources, it was supplemented by

Secondary sources.

P

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Observation Method

Interview Method

Questionnaire Method

Through Schedules

Other Methods

Books,

Magazines&

Public Records

and statistics

Journals

Reports

Methods of Data Collection

FINDINGS OF STUDY

In India, inbound tourist expenditure per head is third highest in the world and

even more than global average tourist spending.

India has been promoting its healthcare tourism by providing the visitors with

private healthcare facilities. It is expected that the number of tourists visiting

India for the purpose of medical treatment will reach one Million by 2012,

representing a CAGR of 28.09% from 2007.

Disposable income in past (during 2001-2006) grew at a CAGR of 10.11%,

thereby driving domestic as well as outbound tourism.

Room rent accounts for more than 50% of revenue earned by Indian hotel

industry & India’s share in global tourism is expected to reach 1.5% by 2010.

Indian outbound tourist flow is expected to increase at a CAGR of 12.79% over

the five-year period spanning 2007-2011.

Tourist influx to India is expected to increase at a CAGR of 22.65% between

2007 and 2011.

India’s share in global tourism is expected to reach 1.5% by 2010.

In India, inbound tourist expenditure per head is third highest in the world and

even more than global average tourist spending.

India has been promoting its healthcare tourism by providing the visitors with

private healthcare facilities. It is expected that the number of tourists visiting

India for the purpose of medical treatment will reach one Million by 2012,

representing a CAGR of 28.09% from 2007.

Disposable income in past (during 2001-2006) grew at a CAGR of 10.11%,

thereby driving domestic as well as outbound tourism.

Room rent accounts for more than 50% of revenue earned by Indian hotel

industry.

Indian outbound tourist flow is expected to increase at a CAGR of 12.79% over

the five-year period spanning 2007-2011.

Tourist influx to India is expected to increase at a CAGR of 22.65% between

2007 and 2011.

LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY

As the time available is limited and the subject is very vast.

As the time available is limited and the subject is very vast.

The study is general.

It is mainly based on the data available in various websites &other secondary

sources ;

The inferences made is purely from the past year’s performance;

There is no particular format for the study;

Sufficient time is not available to conduct an in-depth study.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Websites

www.google.com

www.ieee.com

www.tourism.gov.in

www.wikipedia.com

Journals & magazines

national journals on tourism

International journals and magazines