Adventure Travel In India Market Study Tourism Essay

gage get off In India foodstuff Study tourerry EssayAdventure sports piddle seen a tremendous issue is the come through six to seven years and the future looks very bright. The administration is also doing its bit in order to press threaten touristry in India. The Indian touristry manufacture has a dance orchestra of myriad players who want to latch on the opportunities that beckon in this field of the industry. But the industry and its players unfold to be a house of disorder.This paper looks into the clear and present hazard that lies ahead of the Indian tourism Industry in the form of Adventure change of location, and digest the respective(a) aspects that need to be kept in mind as the investors go come out in search for the suitable customers to cash in on this multi one million million dollar cheque.INTRODUCTIONA man ratnot discover late oceans unless he has the courage to lose potful of the shore, were the words of the famous French noble laureate Andre Gide and the increasing demand for the casualty sports indicates that people prevail entered the 21st century with renewed courage to find enjoyment in the thrills of the bet on filled out-of-door activities. Thus, it can be seen interchangeable leisure tourism, bet on sports is becoming an integral determinant behind the tourism dynamics.As a subject for academic abbreviation, tourism can be said has reached a phase angle of relative maturity. A casual review of journals serving the subject atomic number 18a reveals a number that pee been in existence for over 25 years (e.g., hug drugism Management, Annals of Tourism Research), with the Journal of Travel Research publishing its 45th annual volume in 2007. Similarly, the range of journals reveals the diversity of issues considered (e.g., Tourism Geographies, Tourism Economics, Journal of Sustainable Tourism, and Journal of Travel and Tourism Marketing).With the evident relative lack of research in the area of Adventure S ports Tourism, it would be sensible to turn to research in the area of promoting the various disciplines of happen sports by integrating it with operations of tourism management. This research volition look into the increasing demand for the adventure sports, breaking with the cultural and geographical conformism of conventional holidays and turn ons, and pass on analyse the exchangeablely for it to tap effectively. buttResearch in the field of sports tourism has b urge ononed over the last decade. In a shoot conducted by a renowned publication, unsurprisingly, the finisly studied activity was major event sports tourism identical Olympics, sp here Cups, etc.(40% of articles), with outdoor and adventure sports tourism (29%) and skiing and winter sports (15%) being the other two significant areas.1 This being a clear indication of the increasing demand for the adventure sports, the objective of this paper willing be to study the feasibility of marketing, conducting and be nefitting from such events specific every last(predicate) in ally in India.This market study will b alleyly represent of two parts which will help the indorsers decide the readiness and the vi world force-out of the adventure sports market.Part-1 discusses the concepts and getes that might inform an depth psychology of adventure sports in Indian market.And part-2 will conduct a critical evaluation and the determining factors of expend in this area of business.If youre not living on the edge, youre taking up too much space.Overall, the reader should after considering a personal perspective should be able to determine the likely success of new product or answer ideas.PART 1THE SERVICELandscape and topography of India lends itself to variety of Adventure Sports activities. non many people would agree, repayable to its unexplored avenues, that India is a place where one can indulge in numerous adventure activities, if not all. Definition of adventure is different for different person and best thing about adventure tourism in India is that it provides adventure sports ranging from soft adventure to active and extreme adventure. wanton adventures are ideal for family and kids and require very little or no skill and experience. Extreme adventure in India can be physically and mentally demanding and require mature experience.The service which is being discussed here has two aspects to it one being the tourism in India and the other being the adventure sports. These two attendant each other in the way that for a customer the need for one of the above whitethorn often lead to the demand for the other. For e.g. for some(prenominal)one visiting Manali, in the Northern part of India for a Holiday, a chance visit to the snow capped Rohtang Pass may encourage the trying of skiing which is promoted in the area. Thus it sires sense to look into both of these aspects individually to get a holistic view of the service being provided i.e. Adventure Travel.TOURISMT ourism for farseeing has promised to be a sunrise industry for India. India is bright with a vast range of practically everything that a successful tourism offer needs from mountains to rivers to floor to religion and culture. The economic and political case for investments is also politically attractive. Tourism promises an inflow of hard money and at the same time also promotes goodwill. It creates demand for a variety of industries like transports, hotels, handicrafts, entertainment and so on. With improved tourism in India the overall persona of life is sure to improve over a period of time.And yet India seems to be remarkably lethargic in making money out of tourism. The fact is rather pitiable and the following statistics emphasise that factIndias share of global tourism market 0.67% take of tourists visiting India 2.6 million against Chinas 37 million.In impairment of tourism revenues as share of GDP Indias straddle is 124thThe spirit, cohesiveness, and pile tha t founder spurred India to the top of the heap in diverse industries is lacking in this sector. The absence of merged vision is compounded by a lack of initiative and tardiness in implementing policies.In a study conducted on Indian Tourism, it has been stated that, opus there exists an ability to invest there also exists an able degree of unwillingness to break away from the beaten path and take risks.The country is sitting on a virtual goldmine with a wealth of sights cultural exuberance, diversity of terrain and that special something that only India can deliver. Tourism has the potential to do something bigger than what IT has done for India.Priority should be given for culture of tourist al-Qaida in selected areas of tourist importance and for those products which are considered to be in demand in the existent and future markets so that limited mental imagerys are put to the best useADVENTURE SPORTSIIndia, one of the about enchanting, incomparable and invigorating trav el destinations all over the knowledge domain, is a true comfort trove for the adventure enthusiasts. India has all the perfect ingredients that enchant its tourists with real fun and excitement.WATERThe Himalayas offer you some of the toughest and most fire river runs in the world. River sports in the rapids are the most popular, throughout the summers and can really get your adrenaline pumping. clear Water Rafting, Kayaking, Snorkelling or Scuba Diving if there is a concept of water sport in Adventure you can find it in this country.TREKKINGSource World Tourism OrganisationWHERE DO YOU expect TO GO?You can trek for one day or one month backpack all your gear and wonder off in the wild or stroll comfortably with just a shoulder bag, water and camera whilst animals transport your camping gear, heavy baggage and logistic loads. You may personate a challenging pace and go over difficult grades and elevated passes or just walk along, enjoying the wild nature, magnificent scener y, uncomplicated lives of people staying close to nature, stopping when you please, chatting with your companions, forging new relationships and hoarding a fund of fascinating memories to cherish.More extreme ways of trekking are Rock come up and Mountaineering. Rock Climbing as a sport it took off only about 15 years ago. Rock upgrade uses a minimum of aids and the challenge is to find the toughest route and scale in the least likely time. The availability of good climbing rocks not too far from the city gets greater access and exponentiation from professionals as sound as from the amateurs alike.Mountaineering takes place at biggest adventure playground in the world -the Himalayas. Mountaineering is a serious activity undertaken with the primary goal of reaching a mountains summit. It requires a high degree of fitness and experience. Due to its high equipment costs and complexity, it is mostly taken up by unusual tourist coming to India.Himalaya promises every climber their share of adventure, which lures them to the mountains.AERO ExperienceJust like on the land, there are various adventure opportunities in the air too. Man has for times immemorial, longed to glide and soar like a bird in the sky. Parasailing and Paragliding are indeed, experiences which combine the wonder of smooth sailing in the air and the thrill of soaring high. Once in the air, you experience the ethereal serenity of the sport. It is an experience that is, surprisingly, thrilling as well as becalming.Other ActivitiesOther extreme sports include the likes of skiing which is seasonal in nature and can be only carried out during the winters.Another very popular activity is bungee cord jumping which can be carried out even in the urban areas with the help of the required infrastructure.The potential MARKET AREASPopular DestinationsHIMACHAL PRADESHHimachal Pradesh is a complex mosaic of hills, lush green valleys and snow-covered peaks. The name itself originates from the ancient Sans krit hima (snow) and achal (that which cannot be moved).This land of fascination and mystery with its age-old culture kindles deep interest and commands respect. It is replete with thick-skulled forests, fast-flowing rivers, terraced fields, snow-covered mountains, small fairyland villages and friendly folk all adding to its charm Himachal Pradesh is also a treasure trove of ancient arts and crafts and rich traditions.PROsEstablished tourism Infrastructure like Hotels etc. copiousness of natural resources for conducting activities.Excellent govt. Support in setting up of new ventures.Trained Human resources in stock(predicate).CONsMarket filled with unstructured profit making activities.Overcrowding of popular tourist centres.Local resistance present will affect the business.Many areas inaccessible.GOAGoa is a paradise for water sports lovers and has invariably appealed beach enthusiast and water sports lovers. The long coastal stretches offer loads of opportunities to indulge in all sorts of water-sport activities and also to try on some new watery excitement. Surf the seas or float across the skies, the options of sport enjoyment is never end in Goa. One can never get tired of scuba diving into the wreckage of the colonial ships. The para-gliding, para-sailing, acquatics sports, ski and wind surfing will be completely thrilling.Source Ministry of Tourism, GOIPROs105km of coastline provides ample opportunity for implementing innovative ideas.As shown above, Goa has the largest turnover of tourists in India.Easy accessibility with good thoroughfare and rail transport and fully operative Intl Airport.CONsLack of law and order.Poor transport facilities within Goa.Untrained hospitality staff. graduate(prenominal) costs due to black marketing.Untapped DestinationsNorth-East RegionThe rich natural bag, serenity and exotic flora and wight of the area are invaluable resources for the development of ecotourism. The region is endowed with diverse tourist attr actions and each disk operating system has its own distinct features. North East India presents some very outstanding and challenging adventure sports in India for the adventure enthusiasts coming from all over.PROsUntapped Market.Ideal Terrain for adventure sports.Readily available human resource which can be trained according to the needs. presidential term of India attaches great importance to the development of tourist infrastructure in the North Eastern region in view of its immense tourism potential.CONsLack of infrastructure. climatical extremities are hard to overcome in some regions.Social unrest can be disturbing.ANDAMAN NICOBAR IslandsThis UT does not have any other competitive advantage that comes even remotely close to tourism, because of the beauty and abundance of its natural resources. Theres tremendous scope for adventure sports, scuba diving snorkeling, swimming, sun-bathing, trekking and just soaking in nature at its most beautiful. However, till now, in the ab sence of a specifically stated tourism policy and a strategic implementation plan, and any gains accruing are much through serendipity rather than certain parkway.PROsPopular amongst both local and international tourists.Tourism is the main stay of the region, thus all the development is centred towards the infrastructure for tourists activities.Easy availability of human resources.CONsNot an accessible region as travelling from mainland takes wads of time and money.Dearth of basic infrastructure in areas except for the capital Port Blair.Thus the analysis of the various regions indicates that Indian Tourism has loads of untapped potential. Evident lack of policy or vision from the government has resulted in its inability to scale up infrastructure. If that is taken care of there can a surge in the number of tourist indulging in adventure travel.TARGET CUSTOMERSOver the last ten years, India has witnessed substantial changes in its leisure and travel choices and demands. This c an be attributed to the rapidly growing economy, back up by globalisation and privatisation, which has lead to appendd pass power and greater leisure time. Now, instead of spending a holiday being herded most in a tour bus, the sophisticated Indian traveler wants experience- orientated vacations. This has made adventure tourism a particularly exciting field to be in. According to Pranav Kukreti, Director, Marketing, of Treks n Rapids, The psychology of the modern Indian traveller has changed completely. Gone are the days when they were happy with simply staying in a resort in Shimla or Nainital. Now, they want excitement and adventure,The tourism industry fetches two million adventure tourists and is growing at over 35 per cent annually. It is estimated that India has the potential to attract another half(prenominal) a million foreign adventure tourists. The house servant market is also set to see a ten-fold growth in the next five years. This rise can be majorly attributed to the changing consumer behaviour of the urban universe.It will be appropriate to divide the study of the customers into Domestic and International.DomesticThe key socio-economic trends which have contributed to the increase in demand of the adventure sports can be listed as followsMiddle Class The size of the put partition families have stated shrinking with growing industrialization, while their pockets have grown bigger and bigger. With the acceptance of concept of nuclear families the size of the families has gone down from 8-4 and 4-2. The leisure time that the members of the family get to spend in concert is preferably spent on quality holidays. Thus, adventure travel offers an excellent opportunity for the people to make their kids have fun while they rejuvenate themselves from the maddening office schedules.Urban Youth Youths have always had a strong urge to be non-conformist, and this behaviour is evident in their spending decisions too. Now with this urge being defyed by ample spending power, Indian callowness is raring to enjoy the thrills of adventure sports. Jawaharlal Nehru had talked about Indias Tryst with Destiny at the stroke of midnight hour, Indias latest tryst with destiny, BPO, is equally connected to the midnight hour. This tryst is also about independence the independence of the Indian youth. To the delight of the marketers, the youth market theyve been chasing all these years finally has a credit card with no supervised spending limit.Corporate Promoted Activities Another windfall for the industry has been created by the corporate sector with almost 70 per cent of the demand for adventure tours originating from here. Tour operators have special two to three day packages for corporate teams. The idea here is to link sports with skills like time and stress management or working under pressure. The exercise is meant to rejuvenate as well as re-skill.Data of Foreign TravellersSource MoT, GOI, Annual composingAdventurous Kids The kids at present have more self-sufficiency and influencing power in the family. They are well networked (read amicable networking), well informed and social. The ability of the kids to nag their affluent in making them purchase stuff for them is known as bug power. This pester power is also enabling them to undertake various school trips and adventure camps where they enjoy with their individual social groups.INTERNATIONAL TOURISTSIndia is emerging very strongly as a brand. With the inquisitiveness about India rising all over the world, more and more foreign tourists are coming to India to experience its vibrant cultures. But while they visit the popular destination it can be a good value addition for their trip if they can be offered an experience of river rafting in the rapids of the Ganges or a paragliding experience may attend their sun tanning on beaches of the Goa.The foreign tourists have high spending power and if the infrastructure and quality adventure sports facilities are available to their discretion, the promoters can be rest assured of a significant office to their balance sheets in dollars.The global meltdown combined with the Mumbai attacks have spelt disaster for the tourism industry with foreign tourist arrivals dropping by 2.1% and foreign exchange earnings down by 12.5%.Reeling from these statistics, the tourism ministry is considering several sops for the hospitality and travel industry. Amongst these include offering free air travel and adjustment to foreign tourists who visit India for the third time. This move, if approved, will mean encouraging genuine Indophiles and is in line with our effort to encourage repeat travellers, an official from the Ministry of Tourism said while addressing the media.Indicating the Significant growth of the middle classIncreasing Spending Power of the Domestic MarketPART 2Now that we have looked into the various characteristics of the adventure travel in India, it will be propitious to look into the various profitability and marketability aspects link up to the business of Adventure Travel.Considering Adventure Travel to be a brand, the marketing mix (given in terms of 4Ps by Philip Kotler) of brand Adventure Travel can beProduct Adventure travel should rate itself as one of the competitive alternatives when it comes to attracting tourists. Marketing adventure travel needs special focus on influencing the psychology of the perspective customers by influencing them with its core competencies of thrill and adrenaline rush. A synergic attitude between the government agencies and the private parties can take the quality of adventure sports to a world class level and promote a surge of tourists to experience its excitement.Collaborating with Major media houses to promote Adventure Travel in IndiaPrice Hotel prices in the U.S blend at around $300 (expedia.com) whereas the average rate for a deluxe room in India is around $100 only. Thus if the facilities for adventure sports ar e produced at a large scale in India its prices will surely be low, due to the low labour cost and manufacturing costs. Within the sector the competitive price of the adventure travel will depend on the collaboration between the service providers and the service facilitator. i.e. the parties which are able to provide a complete package to its customers including, travel, accommodation and the adventure activities will be more in demand as their operations cost will be significantly low and at the same time level of convenience very high.Place Though we have so far talked about the tourist destinations as being the ideal places for providing this service, it may not be a hard decision to have such activities in the areas in the vicinity of the cities. By providing such services at a relatively approachable blank spaces the rate of new customers coming to experience the new and the talked about activities will be more. And it may also be easier for the working executives to take ou t some time from their schedule, like an excursion on the weekends. This though will be a completely strategic decision safekeeping in mind the competitors and the various alternatives in hand. While this strategy may not work in a city like Delhi which has various hill-stations in the vicinity but may work rather well in city like Ahmedabad where the people have a significant spending power and not many similar options either.Promotion If adventure travel in India has to be established as a global brand, first the communication needs to go out to the primary audience, i.e. the one one thousand thousand people of this country. If the government, the media and the trade bodies are able to influence a part of the population, they can spread the word, which in this age of networking will surely spread like fire. Collaborative marketing efforts involving the traders, the media houses, government and a good network of brand ambassadors can provide a structured and a long term approach to brand development of Adventure Travel in India. For e.g. collaborating with the GOIs Incredible India Campaign and engaging the famous Hindu movies star Akshay Kumar (who is well known for his action and stunts) will go a long way in establishing a brand image in the minds of the Indian customers.CASE STUDYWater Sport Adventure Tourism at Indira SagarMadhya Pradesh has a wide range of adventure sports such as wildlife sanctuaries, mountains, rivers that make MP an exotic place to visit, which is attracting the domestic as well as the international tourists.Apart from these natural regions the presidential term of MP is intending to promote other regions such as Indira Sagar water reservoir for tourism. The GoMP has proposed to come-up with the Adventure Tourism partition at Indira Sagar in Khandwa district.This Zone would have two phases wherein one phase would be developed approximative the mentioned reservoir and the second phase would be developed on the island formed nea r the dam.The Zone would have various water sports, trekking, mountaineering facilities along with the traditional accommodation facilities.The project is expected to attract tourists chiefly from the province and other parts of the Country.The proposed location is well connected with the major cities of the State through road and rail.Private Players have been invited to undertake the proposed project wherein the Private Player would build, own, maintain and operate the project.PROJECT ruleThe prime reason for increase in demand for adventure sports is the growth youth tourism which has been place as one of the largest segments of global and domestic tourism. The growing number of young travellers is being fuelled by a number of factors such as increased participation in higher education, falling level of youth unemployment, increased travel budget through parental contribution, quest for exciting and unique experiences and cheaper long distance travel. These young travellers f orm a major contribute to adventure tourism revenue.GOVERNMENT SUPPORTThe State Government would assist the private investor in identifying, immediate approval and clearance of the suitable land for the project. Further, the Government would also make basic infrastructure available at the site such as water, electricity, road etc. The State Government has identified adventure/ eco tourism as key segment of tourism and gives some incentives specific to the industry.This case study gives the clear indication that this is an upcoming area of business and has ample potential and the best way forward is collaborating the effort towards successful brand building.MARKET METRICSThreats institution of multinational agencies to dominate the business.Lack of Govt. SupportLow operational cost for the unorganised sector generic wine competition with other tourists attractions.OpportunitiesHigh growth rate of leisure travelRising influence of Indian Middle classHolidaying becoming a status symbo l.Corporate support to adventure tours and travelsMore wasting disease power.WEAKNESSHigh infrastructural cost.Low level of marketingPsychological resistance to adventure sports in Indian mentality.Lack of collaboration and networking among the existing players.STRENGTHOffering something new and exciting to the huge Indian Population. advantage abroad can be emulated domestically by collaboration.Increasing interest of foreign tourists in India.High growth potentialThe market metrics can be analysed by doing a SWOT analysis of the adventure travel in India.MARKET GROWTHNoteThe per capita income of the Indian citizen rose by 12.7 % during the pecuniary year 2008-09.(Reserve Bank of India).The foreign tourists arrival in India registered a growth of 5.6% during the year 2008.(Ministry of Tourism, Annual Report 2008-09)Both of the above mentioned statistics indicate an increase in the demand for the adventure travel services. While the domestic travellers will continue to send their ever increasing earnings, the foreign tourists will continue to venture out to the lesser explored countries like India.Thus, it is now in the hands of the industry players to tap the clear and present opportunity and act proactively with or without the collaboration of the government authorities to gain head on advantage in the upcoming field of business in the tourism industry.ConclusionHigh PriceHigh character referenceLow PriceLow QualityAs their countrys growth and recent success might suggest, Indian consumers are among the most optimistic. A June 2008 Nielsen Consumer Confidence Index among 48 countries found India to be the second most optimistic country behind Norway with an index of 122 (global average was 88).They are also greatly value-driven, with an expectation that set should be customized and adapted to Indian culture-not an easy task when dialects change every 100 kilometres and almostthree-quarters of the population lives in hard-to-reach rural areas. Not surpris ingly, the companies most likely to succeed with Indian consumers are those with the highest levels of patience, resilience and local understanding.But this confidence surprisingly not enjoyed by the Adventure Travel service currently available in the tourism market as it is being offered to the customers at a quality which is nowhere close to world class and is relative expensive option for the Indian consumer. The industry needs to collaborate amongst itself and with thesupport of the government try providing highly satisfactory Adventure travel to its customers at an affordable price. Only so will it be able to market its product convincingly and effectively to the customers, ensuring a growth oriented sustainable future.