CHAPTER-6 CAHLLENGES OF GUJARAT TOURISM

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1 CHAPTER-6 CAHLLENGES OF GUJARAT TOURISM

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3 Every occupation in tourism has one responsibility in common the total satisfaction of every visitor. Gujarat has a colorful profile. The land is fertile, beautiful and prosperous on the coastline from Kutch in the West to Daman in South, the hill line from Aravali in the East to the Western hills with lush green forests, large and small rivers as well the plains in the middle. The rivers and reservoirs, farms and fields, villages and towns, suburbs and cities, markets and industries, temples and complexes add to its physical prosperity and unfold the prosperity of its historic basis. Number of historic monuments, religious places, industrial complexes and educational institutions glorify the cultural pride of Gujarat. It reminds us of great traditions of Lord Krishna to Mahatma Gandhi. Many legends, tales and stories of bravery and generosity, efficiency and imagination, prosperity and charity, Penance and Sacrifice, knowledge and devotion are spread in the air and atmosphere of Gujarat. The hard work and civilized approach of the people of Gujarat are evident at the coast of Dandi in South Gujarat where Gandhiji accomplished the salt satyagarh, at Somnath on the coast of Saurashtra where the echoes of eternal tranquility is heard, history and religion are the way of life at Pavgadh or Girnar, business booms at the markets of Ahmadabad and Surat, folk-life rules the streets of Jamnagar and Bhuj, water of life flows in Narmada and Mahi and greenery plays with the wind in forest of Dang and Gir. The journey through the width and breadth of Gujarat is not merely a physical tour of the land; it is a treat with its people. A treat, which gives an opportunity to know them in real sense, which would arouse feeling of proud and poetic welcome to the distinguished land. Gujarat unfolds its magic in abundance. With the largest coastline in the country, Gujarat has got countless quiet, scenic, reclusive beach pockets where the sea lovers can have a heyday. For wildlife enthusiasts and naturalists, Gujarat offers a fascinating variety of species in Sasan Gir sanctuary and other places. For the devote pilgrims, Gujarat is a source of plentiful faith and devotion Palitana, Somnath, Dwarka and many other pilgrim spots attract lakhs of disciples every year. For those who want to go for a quiet holiday in the hills, Saputara offers a world class option. Monument of Ahmadabad are living example of one of the finest architectural works. 154

4 Gujarat s rich tradition of textile and handicraft, are unique styles developed as culmination of hundreds of years of experience. The fairs and festivals are a time of rejoicement and rejuvenation when the people shed their inhibitions and join united in the festive exuberance. The fairs are mostly held in rural areas where the folk art, folk music and folk dances are displayed with all the originality and performing genius. The town and cities of Gujarat represent all that is progressive and enterprising in the industrious Gujarat psyche. These cities are nerves of the present day prosperous Gujarat. All in all, Gujarat is a land of interest to many a tourist and in turn a major work filed for you. We, therefore offer you in this, a compact package of all that in Gujarat. 6.1 TOURISM DESTINATION BRAND The challenge of destination brand: Tourism destinations are products of history and culture. To some level, a successful tourist destination is one which can connect instantly with the cultural background of its potential tourist. If one looks at the meanings associated with a particular place, some of them are shared by the local community whereas others are shared by global cultural communities. Hence a tourism destination may generate certain internationally shared meanings which can constitute a standardized platform from which a culturally differentiated market communication can take its point of departure and provide a distinct flavor. An effective portrayal and communication of these meanings is what ultimately helps the tourist decide one place over another. The destinations have very strong and pervasive associations for tourists which if skillfully orchestrated, can provide the basis for brand building. (Baloglu & Brinberg, 1997). Today's tourists are not asking what can we do on holiday?', but who can we be on holiday?'. They are increasingly looking less for escape and more discoveries and that creates an emotional connection which marketers can exploit through branding. The challenge beyond that is to make the destination brand live, so that visitors truly experience the brand values and feel the authenticity of a unique place. Factors leading to successful tourist destinations 155

5 At the core of any successful tourist brand, is a clear set of brand values emotional and functional, a robust brand identity, an attractive brand personality and an efficient and targeted communication strategy. Another critical factor that impacts the brand image of tourist places is the flavor and image of the local inhabitants. Studies have proved that a place's image is more often than not shaped by the typical' local people and their culture. Destination image, similar to the image of products and services can be seen as a multi-item construct, implying that the sum of the attributes, are the elements of composite image. This comes in line with Gensh who argues that product image is evaluated by its attributes. So, basically destination images are the result of individual attributes plus a more holistic image. 6.2 Influencers: Before an individual sets off on a trip, there were a variety of factors that influenced his/ her travel plans. Foremost amongst these were the time factor, the distance the individual was willing to travel and the amount required to make the trip. Also important was the connectivity (air, railway and road) to the destination and the availability of accommodation and leisure facilities. The size of the group, the nature of the people you were travelling with (alone, friends or family) also played an important role in deciding a destination. Ease of booking in advance the transportation as well as the accommodation is something which has become easier due to internet travel portals like makemytrip.com, yatra.com, etc. These reduced the uncertainty involved and encouraged more people to travel hassle free. In addition to these factors, for the foreigner s factors such as the weather, security, language of usage, etc. also became important for coming up with a destination. 6.3 GUJARAT AS TOURIST DESTINATION HUB Awareness: On the whole, both primary and secondary research indicates that awareness is low when it comes to the tourist destinations of Gujarat. Popular destinations such as the Gandhi Ashram and Gir National Park had comparatively high levels of awareness. A lot of Hindu and Jain tourists come to Gujarat on a religious tour and so 156

6 not surprisingly places such as Ambaji, Dwarka and Modhera Sun Temple had reasonably high awareness levels. Also, interestingly more tourists were aware of tourism places in and around Ahmadabad like Akshardham and Nal Sarovar Bird Sanctuary as compared to tourist destinations in isolated and remote parts of the state such as Dholavira. Also, the awareness for a number of museums such as Calico Textile Museum was low. This is truer in the case of foreign tourists who often weren't aware regarding the existence of Gujarat when they are planning their trips in their native lands. For them, India either meant big cities such as Delhi- the national capital, Mumbai- the commercial capital and the home to Bollywood or Bangalore- the IT Hub or internationally popular Indian tourist destinations such as Kerala and Goa. Because of the Kashmir dispute becoming an international issue of debate, people were aware of Jammu and Kashmir too. Agra also made it to the list because of the Taj Mahal. To an extent, some of the foreigners were aware about Ahmadabad as the birthplace of Gandhi while some were aware of Gir National Park as it is the habitat of the Asian lions. However, after coming to Gujarat majority foreigners referred to their travel guide or the internet to see which other tourist places catch their interest. Travelling to Gujarat was more convenient for tourists visiting Rajasthan or the ones who spent a little time in Mumbai Perceptions: Amongst domestic tourists, Gujarat was best known for its heritage monuments, culture and the food. Equally popular were the archaeological sites, beaches and forest and nature reserves. In common perception, Diu was often considered a part of the Gujarat tour circuit. Also, Gujarat wasn't rated very highly for its gardens and lakes as well as its museums. Yet, some felt that there was plenty to see for the avid traveler who sees an opportunity to have an exotic experience in the little desert of Kutch or the Gir National Park or the Sun Temple at Modhera. Some of the domestic tourists felt that Gujarat had undergone a massive change in the last few years and the efforts of the now efficient administration meant that Gujarat Tourism was on the path of progress. Signing of Amitabh Bachhan as the brand ambassador of 157

7 Gujarat tourism was also seen as a big boost to the tourism industry in Gujarat. Foreign tourists perceived Gujarat as a very traditional and orthodox tourist destination. They found it tough that there was lack of quality of accommodation and transport facilities across all major tourist destinations. Another barrier for many young tourists was the fact that in Gujarat there is no alcohol, no clubs or meat. Few people would question that tourism and travel can be highly volatile industries. A great deal of the industry is dependent on the leisure traveler. However, tourism is composed not only of leisure travelers but also other groups such as business travelers, and these non-leisure travelers often act and spend in the same way as leisure travelers. Tourism and travel professionals know that their industry is exposed to political, health, and economic undulations. Often it is heard that these ups and downs are outside of tourism and travel professionals control. While to some extent industry leaders are forced to react to circumstances outside of their control, an awareness of current challenges can help these leaders to prepare for eventual challenges and to seek ways in which to lessen the negative impact of exigent circumstances. Below is a list of some of the current challenges facing the tourism and travel industry: TOURISM IS HIGHLY TAXED INDUSTRY Few people, outside of the tourism and travel industry, realize just how many taxes travelers pay. Look at the percentage of taxes paid on an airline ticket, a hotel room, or a rental car. In some locales (be that local a country, city, state or province) almost 40% of the commodity s cost comes from add-on taxes. When government officials claim that they must provide additional protection services to non-residents they often fail to take into account just how much money non-residents add to a local economy not only through purchases but also through the payment of taxes. 158

8 GLOBAL STANDARDIZATION Global standardization has produced less unique locales. The globalized marketplace means that often the same products are available throughout the world. If part of the reason for travel is to learn about or have the opportunity to explore the unique and different, then the sameness factor is a major tourism challenge. For example, shopping malls around the world often seem to offer the same products and many travelers find hotels to be so standardized that they almost forget in what county the hotel is located. TOURISM IS HIGHLY DEPENDENT ON THE COST OF FUEL Tourism and travel are highly dependent on the cost of fuel. The recent rise in the price of fuel such as gasoline has a major impact on the entire industry. Summer is the high season for travel and with the cost of gasoline on the rise, many travelers may have to adjust their spending (or vacation length) in order to pay for additional fuel charges. Those locales that are taking this challenge into account and seeking creative solutions will be the ones best prepared to overcome this challenge. WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS The wireless communications world means that one can be there without being there. The new world of telecommunication can offer many advantages to both the traveler and to the travel industry. However, it also means that leisure travelers no longer are simply on vacation. Instead they expect to be connected to business and family at all times. In a like manner, when word-ofmouth combines with telecommunication, then publicity, news stories and events are spread instantaneously throughout the world. The telecommunications revolution also means that business meetings may be conducted on-line or via satellite rather than face to face and may eliminate the need for many business trips. Finally, the telecommunications revolution means that virtual reality often replaces classical reality. No longer can just 159

9 one city lay claim to an attraction when other cities can reproduce the same attraction in a virtual state. SECURITY It is a major challenge to the tourism and travel industry. The tourism and travel industry should have received a major wake-up call on September 11, Unfortunately many industry leaders simply provided lip-service to security issues rather than confronting the problem. Too many tourism offices or convention and visitors bureaus have no (or almost no) contact with their local police departments. Too many police departments have no officers trained in TOPs (tourism oriented policing/protection services). Too few city councils or local governments have provides their security agencies (e.g., policy departments) with the economic and manpower resources to protect the visitor and tourism facilities. Almost no community has done a tourism security assessment of its industry s personnel and sites. Unless the visitor s security becomes a primary focus of concern, many tourism and travel destinations may face great economic losses in the future. SAFETY Safety is another challenge facing the tourism industry. The current population is aging perhaps like no other one in history. As the baby boom generation (those born between ) increasingly approaches its 6th decade of life, many of its members are refusing to slow down. Although the baby-boomers bodies are aging, travel and tourism officials are seeing many of these people practicing all sorts of physical activities, from motorcycling to skiing. This refusal to sit back and grow old means, that tourism official will be facing all sorts of safety issues. Mobile medical units may be needed, others will need special diets and readily available pharmacies open 24 hours a day and 7 days a week. 160

10 HEALTH ISSUES: Closely related to safety issues are health issues such as pandemics that can easily cause tourism panics. Not only can a drop in water quality (purity) become a major tourism issue, but also the industry must face the reality of pandemics and/or pandemic scares. The SARS scare ought to have reminded the travel industry that a few media stories can wreak havoc on the tourism industry s viability. In a like manner, a nervous public may connect a health event with a potential act of terrorism. The anthrax episodes in Washington, DC are an example of how a nervous public may cease to visit a locale due to health related safety issues. POLITICAL CONDITIONS Political conditions will continue to be a challenge for the tourism industry. On the international front, tourism will continue to have to deal with an ever more complicated and confusing political reality. For example, despite governments claiming that they support tourism, visa restrictions have become more complicated. Furthermore, no nation seems to be immune from street demonstrations, politically motivated riots, and acts of terrorism, wars or bureaucratic red tape. These circumstances not only give negative publicity to the host locale, but also make travel more difficult and less appealing. CHALLENGE OF EDUCATION As we all are aware any kind of education in any field is our basic need, it is playing an important role in our life for the up gradation, either in life or any business. Since inception, education was wide spreaded and as and where the more people understands the importance of the some it has been developed in batter way by making every efforts in all regards. Even though having much knowledge, no any institutions come up to think over about the education on tourism, during the previous years. Ultimately, the growth of tourism 161

11 businesses are laying standstill. No doubt, the area of Gujarat is surrounded by beautiful rivers, evergreen mountains, best wild animals, various structural destinations; the people were enjoying them occasionally only. But when the government stated to take the interest to widen the destinations as a tourist places, they understand the real value and he best earning source by the way of tourism businesses. Of course, it is a long life business and more tourists would go at destination for the necessary change and refreshment and business volume will be increased year by year. Under the circumstances, the main issue has been arise about the education on tourism business. Unfortunately, at a very lower level, such type of education has been given to the people. At last, in the absence of training guides behavior, knowledge of destinations, as well as languages, best personality to attract the tourists, the tourism education is a must through the best new developed institutions, and it is dam sure the result will be very positive and Gujarat state would be a fame state throughout in India. Now the trend is changing and people are becoming aware about the knowledge of tourism business and its prosperity, Government has also some positive steps, creative some new institution. So as to provide batter education in this business the outcome is our basic need and we are having the best destination throughout the country especially in Gujarat, and the more people have been attracted in this regard and making their lives satisfactorily, but in our opinion, more efforts should be done so that more people come across about the positive values and can go for the best life, before they have. CHALLENGE OF TOURISM EXPERIENCE Of course tourism is the only business which brings to the human all kind of happiness and enjoyment. However looking to some previous year though best destinations are in Gujarat but with some discrepancies and problems and the tourists where facing some difficulties and return from there with little unsatisfaction, but gradually education, ethics, has converted this formula giving batter results in this regard accordingly government had taken necessary 162

12 actions to renovate best destination of Gujarat and started institutional awareness with best knowledge of destinations, personalities and best languages and the best result came out that more and more tourists are attracted through the year and more and more people where enjoying their life in the best way and full satisfaction at the best destinations. So, that accordingly there is an also a need to think over about the opening of high profile in best knowledge institutions, the new projects with some new ideas, which would definitely prospective life this tourism business an it will definitely serve the people happily forever. MANAGEMENT PLANNING In business some period passed through critical as well as difficult time and has to bear the same. Without any reason and to solve the problems management have to extend mere expenses out of their best income which would take them at loss level. This is a very important thing as any business has to pass through any difficulties/ problems through years. Hence, in our opinion we have to develop a crisis management plan specially to come out from the difficult time without any problems. 163