Tourism In India Research Articles

Learning organizations and sustainability outcomes in tourism: the mediating role of sustainable practices

Purpose This study aims to investigate the influence of learning organization characteristics on sustainability outcomes in the tourism sector, with a specific focus on sustainable tourism practices. It seeks to gain insights into how organizations in the tourism industry contribute to sustainability efforts. Design/methodology/approach This research used a survey method to gather data from employees working in five leading Indian tourism companies. The study was designed based on the theoretical frameworks of triple bottom line theory and organizational learning theory, with quantitative analysis conducted using structural equation modeling through Smart PLS 4 software. Findings This study reveals that learning organizations play a crucial role in promoting sustainable practices and yielding positive sustainability outcomes in the tourism sector. The results demonstrated significant positive relationships and mediation effects, highlighting the substantial impact of learning organization characteristics on enhancing sustainability efforts within the industry. Research limitations/implications This study’s findings provide actionable insights for refining organizational strategies and formulating policy recommendations to strengthen sustainability initiatives within the tourism sector. In addition, this research contributes valuable knowledge to the expanding field of sustainable tourism management and best organizational practices. Originality/value This study contributes to the field by offering empirical evidence on the interplay between learning organization characteristics, sustainable tourism practices and sustainability outcomes within the tourism sector. Its focus on addressing sustainability challenges in this industry context provides valuable insights for industry stakeholders and policymakers, guiding them in formulating effective strategies and decisions to enhance sustainability efforts.

Surrogacy in India: Problems of Legal Regulation

The article examines the problems of legal regulation of surrogacy in India, which are not least associated with such phenomena as medical tourism and the “commercialization” of the female body. “Reproductive” tourism in India in the context of commercial surrogacy, starting in 2002, led to numerous scandals and calls to stop the exploitation of women from lower social classes, which ended with the adoption of the first surrogacy law in 2016, which introduced the concept of altruistic surrogacy and Commercial surrogacy is completely prohibited. Although some restrictions have been lifted in subsequent legislation, the debate surrounding altruistic and commercial surrogacy continues, partly because surrogacy is a relatively new concept in India. With the assisted reproductive technology industry so dominant, a “compensatory” approach to solving the problem is needed, analysts say. Recent changes to India’s surrogacy legislation in 2024 to allow for donation from entities other than married couples mean new regulatory issues for surrogacy that are yet to be resolved.

Promoting carbon neutrality: Indian tourists’ intentions to adopt energy-saving behaviours

ABSTRACT Tourism in India contributes to the world's fourth-largest carbon footprint due to its escalating population and rising income levels, but its emissions per person are lower than those of other developed world economies. As one of the largest emerging economies, India's pledge to transition to Net Zero emissions to become Carbon Neutral in COP26 is a great leap forward in achieving Sustainable goals. This study provides an empirical investigation of Indian Tourists’ Intention to adopt Energy-Saving Behaviours (IESB) to promote Carbon Neutrality while travelling by constructing an integrated model incorporating the Norm Activation Model (NAM) and the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) with Environmental Value (EV) and Climate Change Awareness (CA). Data from 456 tourists were gathered online and offline from March 9 to April 25, 2023. The analysis utilised Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) with AMOS and SPSS, testing eight hypotheses statistically. The findings are instrumental for the new climate change goals, policymakers, the tourism sector and various related businesses and hotels for ensuring sustainable practices. This is one of the first studies empirically investigating ESB and Carbon neutrality in one of the largest growing economies by extending the NAM and TPB through the realm of travel and tourism.

The analytical hierarchical process (AHP) approach to study the tourist choice behavior in rural southern India: Promoting responsible tourism practices

The primary objective of the study is to evaluate the prioritization of the services marketing mix and compare the outcomes between first-time and repeat visitors in selecting a rural destination. Six rural tourism destinations were selected from four different southern states of India. Approximately 512 respondents consisting of 292 first-time visitors and 220 multiple-time visitors participated in a questionnaire survey carried out from May 2023 to October 2023. Multicriteria method, Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) is applied to examine the prioritisation of services marketing mix components and ranking is done concerning the reason behind choosing a particular rural destination. The present study reveals that many new visitors favor rural tourist locations due to their affordability and variety of experiences. In addition, repeat visitors also choose rural areas based on the native resident’s attitude, customer service, cultural orientation, training, language proficiency, information and communication processes and facilities and services. Efficient marketing is important for promoting tourism in rural destinations and increase the arrival of tourists . The article also proposes the adoption of responsible tourism practices, which are essential for protecting cultural assets and ensuring that local populations get fair and equal benefits from tourism. The research also provides significant insights to destination management firms on the formulation of services marketing mix strategies, policy choices, and initiatives aimed at expanding rural tourism in India.

Prime Components Influencing the Foreigners Towards the Medical Tourism in India –A Factorial Approach

The prevalent of universal corporate sectors and government initiatives in India have enhanced the service sector venture in recent years. To draw more medical tourists, the Indian government and the medical sector have substantially spent in enhancing the Indian healthcare abroad. However, it's also crucial to consider the traits of the patients who select India for their medical care. Medical Tourism in India has peculiar traits and special abilities, specialized services and platforms, expertise and well-equipped hospitals and medical staff, a culturally rich region, cutting-edge facilities, supportive individuals, and overall warmth and hospitality. Previous studies focus on the problems faced by the tourists, study in other nations and how people choose their destinations for treatments especially Americans’. With a sample of 600 respondents, the data is directly observed at the hospitals from the international patients in the six states of Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka and Pondicherry. In order to produce a unique dataset that may be utilized to address more inquiries about India's tourism in general, the study compiles data from also the other secondary sources. To study and predict patients' intentions to return to India and their loyalty, it is and to frame the hypothesis assess their opinions of the various facilities and services provided during medical tourism. Factorial analysis, a multivariate statistical technique, has been used to analyze the data and identify the top ten factors motivating the tourists to India. The current study throws light to identify the key areas on which hospitals should concentrate in order to promote medical tourism in the current, cut throat climate.

Rise of Agritourism in India: A Scoping Review

Agrotourism also known as agritourism, is a form of tourism that involves visiting rural areas to explore agricultural or farm-based activities, as well as to experience the culture and traditions of rural communities. This type of tourism mostly takes many forms, including farm stays, vineyard tours, rural bed and breakfasts, and other farm-based accommodations. Agritourism is a new phenomenon for Indian tourists (Eco India, 2017) department and hence has a great scope for tourists to explore and experience authentic Indian tradition and farmers and also can fetch extra income through their regular activities. Above 70% of the population are living in more than 6 million villages (Incredible India, 2017). The current study aims to understand the demand and supply pattern of budding agritourism sector of India. Through understanding limitation, farmer’s determination and perception, the research study also provides strategies to overcome the problems in order to conduct agritourism. This research paper begins with literature review which is followed by introductions to tourism in India and the study area. The qualitative research methodology is used (Semi-structured online questionnaire and interview) followed by analysis and the findings are discussed before conclusion.

The psychological influence of perceived destination attributes in 360° virtual tours on tourists’ responses

ABSTRACT A 360° virtual tour experience integrates videos and smartphones to evoke tourists’ cognition, emotion, and heightened intentions. The present study investigates the impact of perceived destination attributes on information-seeking and destination visit intention when tourists are presented with a 360° virtual tour experience. The Stimulus-Organism-Response (S-O-R) framework is extended to investigate this mechanism by incorporating perceived destination attributes as a stimulus, tourists’ perceived confidence, confirmation, and satisfaction as an organism, and information seeking and visit intention as a response. Data was collected from 260 tourists in India. The results reveal the strong influence of 360° media in generating perceived destination attributes, which has a significant and positive association with tourists’ perceived confidence and destination satisfaction. Findings based on Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) reveal that destination satisfaction is a strong predictor of information-seeking, and confirmation is a predictor of destination visit intention. The implications provide valuable insights to Destination Marketing Organisations (DMOs), VR content creators, and policymakers for effectively promoting VR videos for tourism.

Paragliding Events & Festivals: Catalyzing Aero-Sports Tourism Development in India

India’s diverse geographical landscape and rich cultural history make it an ideal destination for paragliding events and festivals, highlighting its potential for aero sports tourism in the world. India has been the host of the Paragliding World Cup, and Paragliding Accuracy Pre-World Cup integrating with various cultural events and festivals. Paragliding destinations of Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Maharashtra, and Kerala have gained popularity among the paragliding community worldwide by hosting paragliding “events & festivals”. This study has evaluated the potential of the paragliding destination of various states in India and the role of paragliding “events and festivals” in aero-sports tourism development in India. After analyzing the data from the secondary sources found the various challenges for aero sports tourism in India. Managerial implication has underlined the importance of strategic planning required by state tourism departments, paragliding associations, and local communities to incorporate music and dance festivals with paragliding events. Skill development and training programs for local youth, development of the infrastructure, sustainable environmental practices, and effective marketing and promotion will all contribute to the growth of paragliding tourism in India. Findings highlight the incorporation of local culture (dance music & food) into paragliding festivals, which promotes India’s rich heritage. Organizing events and festivals at Aero sports destinations attract tourists as well as benefits the local economy, resulting in job growth. Sustainable environment-friendly practices and community participation can reduce environmental damage and it will promote a sense of ownership among locals. The results underline the importance of empowering local communities to benefit from paragliding tourism development. Paragliding festivals not only paragliding pilots and tourists, but they also serve as an effective destination marketing tool, promoting lesser-known destinations and contributing to India's long-term Aero-sports tourism development goals.

A Narrative Review of Sex Tourism in India: a Danger that Needs Addressal

Kolkata holds the title for possessing Asia’s largest red light area. Therefore, India is one of the largest booming industries for commercial sex tourism and a transnational crime .Through the review it was analysed that human trafficking and sex slavery is in increased numbers. Various reports/case studies state that missing numbers of women and children are vast in number and included in dark figures of crime. It was also studied that some victims were voluntarily involved in the sex work while mostly children were exploited into the business. This paper explores the dark side of sex tourism in India. This paper is a discussion paper that reviews about sex tourism , activities that run under its shade such as human trafficking and slavery, reasons for this tourism developing in the country and at last recommends key points to deter illegal Sex tourism. Hence this paper highlights the situation of human trafficking of children and women into Sex tourism and gives attention to curb this criminality from the society.

AN IMPACT ANALYSIS OF TOURISM AND ECONOMIC GROWTH IN INDIA

The tourism sector exerts a substantial and diverse influence on India's economic growth. Renowned for its rich cultural heritage, historical landmarks, and natural splendor, India has emerged as a favored destination for both domestic and international travelers, drawing millions annually. The study aims to highlight the following factors: per capita GDP, international tourist receipts, trade openness, and gross capital formation. The study employs the Heteroscedasticity Test, Normality Test, Breusch-Godfrey Serial Correlation LM Test, and CAGR (Compound Annual Growth Rate) to examine the contribution of tourism to economic growth in India, comparing major countries from 2003 to 2020. The paper aims to provide an impact analysis of the relationship between economic growth and tourism in India, examining the multifaceted dimensions of this symbiotic relationship.

Indian Tourism - Emerging Opportunities, Challenges and Future Trends

Travel and tour have always been part and parcel of everyone’s life. The need for recuperation from the tensions of modern life forced people to take up tours for leisure and medical purposes. This increase in general awareness among people for travelling has created a favourable condition for the growth of the tourism sector in India. India is divinely blessed with nature, diverse geographical attractions, and destinations. The tourism sector has always been a bright spot in India, due to its growth potential and its impact on the economy. But, as every sector has its strengths, so have its weaknesses and threats. Therefore, this study takes an in-depth analysis based on secondary data about the strengths, weaknesses, threats, opportunities, and future trends of Indian Tourism. The study also tries to provide suggestions that can be considered by authorities, stakeholders, and tourism departments for the improvement of the sector.

Exploring tourist’s metaverse experience using destination spatial presence quality & perceived augmentation: metaverse exploration, physical expedition (MEPE)

ABSTRACT A recent surge of interest surrounds metaverse tourism, with researchers highlighting its potential to revolutionize the tourism industry and attract new travellers. This article delves into the key features of a tourist's metaverse experience that influence their desire to visit a destination in the real world using systems theory. In addition, the current study also explores the moderating role of FOMO (Fear of missing out) in few of the proposed relationships. The study is a cross-sectional descriptive investigation carried out among Indian tourists chosen based on the simple random sampling technique and is analyzed using the Smart PLS software. The findings of the study reveal that several attributes of a tourist's metaverse experience, including entertainment, interaction, trendiness, novelty, and intimacy, significantly enhance both the perceived quality of spatial presence within the destination and the level of perceived augmentation experienced by tourists. Notably, both these factors then exert a significant positive influence on a destination's brand equity, ultimately explaining tourists' intentions to visit the physical location. Interestingly, the moderating role of Fear of Missing Out (FOMO) suggests that the relationship between brand equity and the likelihood of tourists undertaking a physical visit is strengthened as their perceived FOMO increases.

Global and Indian Tourism Foundations and Growth: An Overview

Global and Indian Tourism Foundations and Growth: An Overview

A Review of Village Tourism in Nepal: Concept and Practice

Nepal is a country of 753 local governments. Of the total, 736 local government (276 municipalities and 460 rural municipalities) excluding six metros and 11 sub metros are the full of village attributes-arts, culture, civilization, history and outstanding natural beauty. The transformation of village settlements into potential tourist destinations will be the village tourism initiatives in Nepal. The transformation is generally based on Tourism planning and the planning is based on its concepts and practices. Thus, the study has been conducted to identify the basic concepts and contemporary practices of village tourism in Nepal. From the methodological perspective it is a general qualitative review of recently published journal articles. The study found that village tourism helped to maintain community wellbeing and reduce poverty in homestay tourism destinations. Contrary to that community people particularly residing in other villages are still economically poor and vulnerable. Thereby, their economic poverty can be eradicated through the implementation of appropriate village tourism concepts such as smart village tourism, spatial village tourism and community based ecotourism. In doing so, 736 local government of Nepal must develop at least 5,400 community homestay (six to nine in each local level) tourism destinations. The priority must be given to Nepali tourists as well as Chinese and Indian tourists through different packages in all season and regions. Top-level political leaders and bureaucrats must be able to make diplomatic relation with China and India for promoting village tourism throughout the country.

A Systematic Literature Review on Slow Tourism and Its Implications to the Uttarakhand State of India

This paper explores how slow tourism might promote sustainability in India. Slow tourism is a sustainable travel strategy that prioritizes high-quality travel experiences above quantity and aims to protect the environment, promote local culture, and increase travelers' happiness. This study examines the main ideas, themes, and behaviors related to slow tourism through a thorough literature assessment. It assesses their applicability to India's socio-cultural and ecological contexts. It draws attention to the potential of slow tourism to promote sustainable development through strengthening local economies, protecting the environment, and cultivating an awareness of the natural and cultural history of the region. The report also evaluates the potential and challenges for slow tourism in India and makes recommendations for future study and policy formation. This study highlights slow tourism's potential to advance sustainability in India's tourist industry, using Uttarakhand as a relevant case study.

Dilli Haat INA: A Unique Intersection of Tourism and Commercial Use of Urban Land

A significant socioeconomic activity of the populace that directly produces services, goods, foreign exchange, jobs, and investments is tourism. Today, people go to a variety of locations to escape the daily tedium of life. They are mostly drawn to a place by either the breathtaking natural scenery or the intriguing leisure, sports, and adventure activities that are on offer there. Atithi Devo Bhavah when translated in English means ‘The Guest is equivalent to God’. It is the adage used by the Indian Tourism to lure millions of Tourists from across the globe. India because of its diversities is a haven for tourists from around the world. The aim of this work is to comprehensively outline How Delhi Ina haat as a unique combination of commercial as well as socio spatial space uses the urban land for both tourism as well as commercial purpose. Primary data has been congregated through questionnaires containing both close ended and open-ended questions. Also, secondary data gathered from web resources, seminars, conferences and books. The findings demonstrate that Delhi Ina haat is found to be more preferred, pleasing and gratifying place which accounts the real multiplicity of handicrafts and cuisines of respective states of India which is both an amalgamation of tourism as well as commerce in a single landscape.

Ayodhya: A study on the Influence of Social Media Marketing on Spiritual Tourism in India

Ayodhya: A study on the Influence of Social Media Marketing on Spiritual Tourism in India

Rural tourism in India and pro-tourism behavior

Purpose This paper aims to understand tourist behavior in Indian rural tourism by integrating the stimuli-organism-response (SOR) framework, service quality model (SERVQUAL) model and theory of planned behavior. It investigates the role of positive tourist-host interactions, destination image, trust and attitude in shaping pro-tourism intentions. Additionally, it explores the moderating effect of Indian traditionality on these relationships. Design/methodology/approach This study uses a mixed-methods approach, combining qualitative data from 15 respondents with quantitative analysis involving 580 tourists engaged in Indian rural tourism. Confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling are used to examine relationships among tourist-host interactions, destination image, trust, attitude and pro-tourism intentions. Findings The study reveals that positive interactions and a positive destination image play crucial roles in building trust and shaping favorable attitudes toward rural tourism. Trust and attitude, in turn, significantly drive pro-tourism intentions. Furthermore, tourist attitude partially mediates the relationship between trust and intentions. The study introduces the novel concept of Indian traditionality as a moderator, highlighting its impact on trust, attitude and pro-tourism intentions. Research limitations/implications Limitations include the focus on Indian rural tourism, which may limit generalizability, and potential response bias due to self-reported data. Future research could explore other cultural contexts and use diverse data collection methods. Practical implications This research offers practical insights for policymakers and stakeholders, emphasizing the importance of fostering positive tourist–host interactions and cultivating a positive destination image to enhance the overall tourist experience and promote sustainable rural tourism practices. Originality/value This study’s innovation lies in harmonizing theoretical frameworks to shed light on Indian rural tourism’s multifaceted aspects. It introduces Indian traditionality as a cultural moderator, enriching understanding of tourist behavior. The research contributes to academia and industry by guiding the development of sustainable tourism practices and improving the tourist experience.

India’s G20 Presidency and Impact on Indian Tourism, Travel and Hospitality Business

It has been called Bharat’s G20 moment and how, the nation is using the opportunity to boost tourism and its vibrant culture. Milestones in any business are necessary, as they usher in a turning point. The push and pull factors of India, has ensured, not only inbound tourism, but galvanized domestic tourism on account of the facilities and opportunities and yes, the pride of every citizen to see his/her own country. If Covid-19 was a milestone with the learnings that it provided, G20 too has helped evoke the tourism, travel, and hospitality (TTH) business to reach the $1 trillion mark by 2047; when the nation celebrates its 100 years of existence as an independent nation. It was a moment of pride when Prime Minister Narendra Modi, leading the Indian delegation took over the G20 Presidency in 2022 from Indonesia and it was official that from 1st December 2022 to 30th November 2023. It was envisaged that a total of 215 G20 meetings would be conducted across 55 locations and tourism would have a total of four meetings. Three of the official meetings under the tourism track led by India’s G20 Sherpa, Mr. Amitabh Kant would be held at: Gujarat (Rann of Kutch), West Bengal (Siliguri) and Jammu and Kashmir (Srinagar). The fourth Ministerial Level tourism meeting of G20 leaders was organized in Goa where a multitude of decisions were taken on various domains that will impact the TTH businesses and yes, most importantly environmental. The research paper focuses on what that TTH stakeholders feel about the G20 meetings in India and how it would impact the Travel and Tourism scenario, both inbound tourism (IBT), outbound tourism (OBT) and domestic.

Domestic Tourism Growth in India, Post COVID-19

Domestic tourism in India recorded impressive growth and supported the local economy significantly in the last phase of the COVID-19 pandemic. The extant research on this topic covers the impact of the pandemic and resilience strategies. Still, it leaves a gap in the discussion relating to the service providers' experience in the context of domestic tourism. The present study stems from the absence of empirical research on the trends associated with domestic tourism growth in India post-COVID. It examines the trends in domestic tourist behaviour from the tour operators’ perspective. It employs a qualitative research design to explore the experiences of tour operators in India. Phone interviews were conducted with 26 tour operators to collect data. A thematic-content analysis is performed to generate themes with the help of Atlas ti software. The findings present the trends, preferences, motivations, and patterns of domestic growth tourism in India.