Synopsis "Tourism from Aravallis to Himalayas: Insights from Stakeholders (in English)"
About the Book: The book "Tourism from Aravallis to Himalayas: Insights from Stakeholders" is based on the research study sponsored by the Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR), Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India, New Delhi, entitled "Tourism in North India: Challenges and Prospects." The book has attempted to examine the needs of tourists and the ways in which the North Indian tourism can be developed. The book focuses on the level of satisfaction of the tourists, their expectations and assessment of existing tourism industry in North Indian states. The book is based on the primary survey conducted during the research study in the North Indian states of Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Uttarakhand, Haryana, Punjab, and Rajasthan. The major tourist destinations in North India were selected for the survey from the list of major places visited by domestic tourists travelled as per the Domestic Tourism Survey 2002-2003 conducted by the National Council of Applied Economic Research under the sponsorship of the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India.The NCAER survey had ranked all the major places visited by domestic tourists travelled for the purpose of leisure, holiday, religious and pilgrimage. However, for the purpose of the present study, only the places of leisure/holiday tourism in North India were selected for the conduct of survey and in total 14 select tourist destinations were surveyed. On the basis of ranking in the list of NCAER, the top-ranking leisure/holiday tourist destinations were selected viz. Shimla, Jaipur, Kullu Manali, Nainital, Mount Abu, Mussoorie, Udaipur and Srinagar; from each destination 60 residents and 60 tourists were interviewed randomly. Some lower ranked tourist destinations from the list were also selected viz. Jodhpur, Dalhousie, Dharamshala, Jammu, Gulmarg, and Pahalgam; from each destination 20 residents and 20 tourists were interviewed randomly. Thus, in total 1200 respondents at important leisure/holiday tourist destinations were surveyed during the research study which consisted of 600 tourists and 600 residents (300 tourism-dependent residents i.e. hotel owners/ managers, tour operators, vendors, tourist guides, waiters, etc.; and 300 tourism-independent residents). The book presents the results relating to the study conducted to establish perceptions of the local people of tourist destinations under study and the level of satisfaction of tourists towards tourism products and markets in the tourist destinations under study. The book highlights the expectations and experiences of the tourists visiting the tourist destinations under study. Some interesting qualitative observations and findings of the study are presented as qualitative notes in the form of short stories/ comments in the book. The book provides an assessment of existing policies, implications, and suggests necessary recommendations. The book discusses the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats to which the tourism in North Indian destinations is exposed to. The policy implications which emerge from observations, findings and conclusions of the present study are strongly recommended. They are the result of a combination of qualitative and quantitative research methodologies used for the present study.About the Authors: Dr. Nalin Kumar Ramaul has published research papers in reputed journals of Springer and Sage Publications, published two books, completed four research projects. Presently working in a Government College in Himachal Pradesh, he had qualified Civil Services Examinations conducted by UPSC.Dr. Dhyan Singh Tomar, officiating Principal in a government college in HP, has completed two research projects and published 5 research papers. Mrs. Pinki Ramaul is a free-lance journalist writing articles in The Tribune, The Times of India, Divya Himachal, and Himachal This Week. She has already published two books. Blog: http: //ramaul.blogspot.com/
