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ASSIGNMENT SOLUTIONS GUIDE (2021)

TS 2: Tourism Development: Products, Operations
and Case Studies
Disclaimer/Special Note: These are just the sample of the Answers/Solutions to some of the Questions
given in the Assignments. These Sample Answers/Solutions are prepared by Private

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Teacher/Tutors/Authors for the help and guidance of the student to get an idea of how he/she can
answer the Questions given the Assignments. We do not claim 100% accuracy of these sample
answers as these are based on the knowledge and capability of Private Teacher/Tutor. Sample

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answers may be seen as the Guide/Help for the reference to prepare the answers of the Questions
given in the assignment. As these solutions and answers are prepared by the private teacher/tutor so
the chances of error or mistake cannot be denied. Any Omission or Error is highly regretted though
every care has been taken while preparing these Sample Answers/Solutions. Please consult your own

.
Teacher/Tutor before you prepare a Particular Answer and for up-to-date and exact information, data

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and solution. Student should must read and refer the official study material provided by the
university.
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Q1. What do you mean by tourism products? Describe features of Indian tourism products.
Ans. A tourism product can be defined as the sum of the physical and psychological satisfaction it
provides to tourists, during their ‘traveling and sojourn’ en route at the destinations. Since travel and
tourism industry is an agglomeration of too many sectors that promote travel related services. These
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sectors are referred to as travel vendors and their services and goods are called ‘travel products’.
A tourism product includes five main components such as physical plant, services, hospitality,
freedom of choice, and a sense of involvement. Thus, whatever the natural and man-made resources,
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services brought about the consumption of tourists is called tourism products.

Features of Indian tourism products:
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(1) Intangible: Tourism is an intangible product means tourism is such kind of product which can not
be touched or seen and there is no transfer of ownership, But the facilities are available for specified
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time and for a specified use. For e.g. a room in the hotel is available for a specified time.
(2) Psychological: The main motive to purchase tourism product is to satisfy the psychological need
after using the product, by getting experience while interacting with a new environment. And
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experiences also motivate others to purchase that product.

(3) Highly Perishable: Tourism product is highly perishable in nature means one can not store the
product for a long time. Production and consumption take place while a tourist is available. If the
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product remains unused, the chances are lost i.e. if tourists do not purchase it. A travel agent or
tourism operator who sells a tourism product cannot store it. Production can only take place if the
customer is actually present. And once consumption begins, it cannot be stopped, interrupted or
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modified. If the product remains unused, the chances are lost i.e. if tourists do not visit a particular
place, the opportunity at that time is lost. It is due to tourism reason that heavy discount is offered by
hotels and transport generating organizations during the offseason.
(4) Composite Product: Tourist product is a combination of different products. It has not a single
entity in itself. In the experience of a visit to a particular place, various service providers contribute
like transportation the tourist product cannot be provided by a single enterprise, unlike a
manufactured product.
The tourist product covers the complete experience of a visit to a particular place. And many
providers contribute to the tourism experience. For instance, airline supplies seats, a hotel provides
rooms and restaurants, travel agents make bookings for stay and sightseeing, etc.

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(5) Unstable Demand: Tourism demand is influenced by seasonal, economic political, and other
factors. There are certain times of the year that see greater demand than others. At these times there is
a greater strain on services like hotel bookings, employment, and the transport system, etc.

Q2. Describe the tourism potential of the Prince of Wales Museum, Mumbai.
Ans. Prince of Wales Museum is a major place of tourist interest. It is situated in South Bombay at a
convenient location where buses are easily available. It is suhounded by other places of tourist
interest. Annually about one million visitors visit this Museum. It is well-known for its rare

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collections as well as its modem display in the galleries.
A museum houses historical objects but it also has a history of its own. It is always good to start our
journey with making brief statements about the origin, development and the collections displayed in

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the museum.
The genesis of the Museum at Bombay lies i~ the resolve of the British Indian Government to provide
a home for the archaeological specimens collected by Mr. Henry Cousens, the then Superintendent of
the Archaeological Survey of India, Western Circle. (Vide report of a Committee set up in 1904) vd the
collections of works of art available at Sir S .S. School of Art and elsewhere.

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The Government also thought that with the Museum of Art and Archaeology there should be

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combined Museum for Science and Natural history. It was specified that the main object of the
Museum should be educational.
At a public meeting held in Bombay on 14th August 1905 it was decided to create an imposing
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permanent memorial to the Royal visit in November 1905. The Government provided the crescent site
measuring about four acres for the Museum.
In the presence of a distinguished gathering Prince of Wales laid the foundation of the MGseum
building on 1lth November, 1905. Hence the name Prince of Wales Museum. Designs for the building
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were invited by competition and finally Mr G. Witter (the then consulting architect to Government)
built the main building in the Indo-Saracenic style. You will be surprised to know that the Go1
Gumbaz at Bijapur influenced the architecture of the Museum. For the building locally available
basalt stone was used. The building was completed in 1914, but due to World War I it was handed
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over to military for hospital purposes. Subsequently it was used for Children's Welfare exhibition. It
was finally made oGer to the Board of Trustees of the Museum in April 1921.
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The management and maintenance of the museum was entrusted to a Board of Trustees created
under the Prince of Wales Museum Act of 1909. The Museum was finally opened to the public on 10th
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January 1922.
The museums with such enormous and varied collections, as you have just now seen during you
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journey through the galleries of the Prince of Wales Museum, Bombay, serve as ideal places for
carrying out educational activities. We give below details relating to the Museum at Bombay. You
might benefit from this information in case some or more members of the tourist group you take
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around the galleries show interest in such activities. Childrens' Creative Centre in the Museum
premises is used for childrens' activities. Educational Officer of the Museum invites school children
accompanied by their teachers and delivers slide lecture and later they are taken around the Museum
galleries. During summer and winter vacations classes are arranged to teach children clay modelling,
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painting and paper crafts etc.

Museum periodically holds exhibitions on different themes. It has also participated in Festival of
India abroad by holding exhibitions in Sweden, Japan and Mauritius. Catalogues of Sweden and
Japan Exhibitions are published. Occasionally Museum arranges lectures by eminent scholors for the
benefit of the public. Coomarswamy Memorial lectures by a renowned scholar is an annual feature.
Coomaraswarny Hall is used for holding exhibitions and lectures. It is also given on hire to outside
parties for sale exhibitions on rental basis. A few enthusiastic ladies from Bombay started a society
about 25 years ago to act as friends of the Museum. This is the first society of its kind in India. It has
ip own membership and periodically atranges lectures and visits for the benefit of its members in co-
operation with the Museum.

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Undoubtedly Prince of Wales Museum is an important Musetirn out of nearly 400 museums in our
counmy. It is very popular with foreign and domestic visitors, who visit it in large numbers. The
Museurn houses some rmc exhibits which are not to be seen elsewhere. The display using proper
colour scheme, lighting and labelling is adequate md pleasing to the eye. Cleanliness is maintained
inside the showcases and outside as well. On the whole this is a well maintained Museum which
makes many visitors to visit it more than once. The educational activities for the primary and
secondary school level and also for college students are comprehensive. Guidance is given to post-
graduate students in their chosen subjects for doctoral studies.

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Q3. Analyse the success story of Khajuraho Dance Festival. Why do local people nurture negative
feelings towards the festival?
Ans. The major success of Khajuraho Festival, lies in its ability to create a secondary tourist attraction

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without disturbing local ideologies and customs. The non-involvement of the local populace
constitutes a strength rather than a weakness of tourism marketing strategy. Despite the fact that local
cultural ceremonies like Basant Panchami and Shivratri fall in the months of February-March, they
have not been publicised by the India Tourism Development Corporation as tourist attractions,

.
thereby, enabling local culture to successfully escape the commercialising effecks of mass tourism. In

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other words, the major achievement of Khajuraho Festival lies in its ability to divert the attention of
tourists from the local culture. However, since the Festival has only a short duration, an imaginative
effort is needed to evolve, on a more permanent basis, an ancillary tourist product of interest in
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Khajuraho.
The Khajuraho Festival may be considered as an attempt to create secondary tourist attraction by
using the temples. The Festival is an annual feature of dance and music held in the month of March.
Artists of national eminence are invited' to perform. Originally conceived by the Madhya Pradesh
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Tourism Development Corporation, the Festival was first organised in 1975 to coincide with the India
Tourism Year. It marked the beginning of an experiment in organised planning and integrated
development of Khajuraho as a tourist resort. Since Khajuraho Festival is a contrived tourist product,
it is organised to overcome the twin limitations of Khajuraho. As mentioned earlier, the tourists'
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duration of stay is very short and so also is the tourist season. The tourist traflic begins to take a
downward trend by mid-March. It was, therefore, thought that a cultural extravaganza in March
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might help improve tourist arrivals in the lean period, prolong their duration of stay and, in general,
provide a boost to tourism development here. Secondly, Khajuraho does not have any extant culture
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qf performing arts with which the temples as primary tourist attraction can be associated for tourism
purposes.Thus, the staging of a festival of dance and music is aimed at improving the value of
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temples as a place of tourist attraction.

Khajuraho is identified as a group of temples located in the Chhatarpur tehsil of district Chhattarpur
in Bundelkhand-Baghelkhand region of Madhya Fradesh. It has been an ancient pilgrim centre
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though its tourist potential was discoveted only lately i.e. in 1950s. Fie interest of the Government of
India in Khajuraho as a place of tourist attraction was kindled by a group of twenty four temples,
dating back to the period 950 A.D.-1050 A.D. These temples, attributed to the Chandela rulers,
represent Hindu, Buddhist and Jain religious traditions. They contain one of the most exquisite
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specimen of architecture and sculpture from ancient India. In fact the architecture and the sculpture
of these temples are the primary tourist attraction. The temples, ac&rding to their location, are
grouped into three major complexes-the Western, Eastern and the Southern. But from the tourist
point of view Western constitutes the most important complex. 'Matangeshwara Temple here also has
a religious significance for the local people and pilgrims from surrounding regions. Khajuraho is a
tourist attraction for both, the domestic and the foreign tourists. It is, however, to be noted that the
duration of their stay is very short. Only about 40-59 per cent tourists make an overnight stay. A large
number of domestic excursionists visit the Khajuraho for a day only, especially on holidays and
Sundays. The climatic geography of the place is such that the tourist season spans only from October
to about the beginning of March. The summer months are unbearably hot and the tourist traffic

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becomes almost negligible then. The host or local community consists primarily of people engaged in
agricultural activities. Most of them are illiterate and do not relate much to the artistic excellence of
the temples. For them the temples, like the Matangeshwara temple, have only religious significance.
The local community, however celebrates several cultural festivals on occasions like Basant Panchami
and ShivraM. These festivals are attended by a large number of pilgrims from surrounding villages.
For a majority of the locals, the dance and music items of the Festival are as alien to their culture as
the..mysterious art embodied on the temple was. The performing artists, too, a:e not tamiliar faces to
them. Aspects of the Great Tradition (Elite Tradition) represented in the Khajuraho Festival have no

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continuity with the Little Tradition (Folk Tradition). This discontinuity generates not merely a feeling
of indifference but also a negative perception of .the Festival in the' minds of the local people. In their
opinion, the Festival is merely an occasion for top government officials in the Department of Tourism

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and in other government offices at the district and state level to exchange pleasantries and seek
favour through a gdt of tickets. The tickets, it is true, are exhorbitantly priced so as to purposely
exclude the local populace. Finally, the system of reciprocities prevents any generation of government
funds through the sale of tickets. However, there is a small section of the local populace which keenly
awaits the arrival of the Festival for its income generatingepotential. An increased tourist traffic helps

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those who are employed in tourism oriented enterprises like hotels, restaurants, souvenir shops, etc.

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Q4. What is the importance of cuisines and customs in travel and tourism field? Give suitable
examples?
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Ans. Importance of cuisines and customs in travel and tourism field:-
Cuisine
They may look around for their familiar food. An example of this is the European tourists flocking at
Narula's Pot Purri in Connaught Place at New Delhi or a person from Delhi searching a place in
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Trivandrum to get Nan and Butter Chicken. They might like to try the local dishes at a destination
with which they are not familiar. India offers a large variety of cuisine which is very much region
specific also. Vindaloo from Goa or Murg Mussalam from Lucknow and what not. Hence, it is of
great significance that the menu should contain the ingredients of the dish as well. Whereas most of
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the big restaurants do this many small ones don't understand its relevance. An amusing outcome of
this could be the waiter trying his best to explain the difference between rice Pulao and Biryani.
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At times they also try dishes whose praise they have heard from others or dishes mentioned in the
guide books. There are occasions when they depend on their tour escort or the waiter to guide them.
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Some may require special meals @e vegetarian only or as may be the case with some domestic
tourists, food without onion and garlic. Many tourists realise that in case they don't get food as per
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their expectations atleast they can have boiled eggs, omelet, sandwich, toast, butter and jam or fruits
which are commonly available in India.
They may also opt a restaurant of their choice like one day for Chinese food and another for Mughlai.
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.. In certain cases they eat out as per the image or reputation of the place and cuisine offered they
already know of from their own place of residence. For example a Marwari Bhoj or vaishnav hotel
would mean vegetarian food and a dbrba must have dal as a special dish irrespective of which town
they are located in.
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In fact like the dishes, food and catering services also differ from destination to destination. There are
Fast Food restaurants and even restaurants of special interest which offer special cuisine like the
Frontier in Ashoka Hotel or Dasa Rakash in' Ambassador Hotel at New Delhi. But we must remember
here that fie tourists spend as per their budget. For example, a low budget tourist may not eat at
Frontier but have roasted non vegetarian food at a small restaurant or a way side dhaba also. A recent
survey of in$mational tourists in India conducted on behalf of the tourism ministry (in 198&89)
mentions that the package tourist spends 13.96 per cent and a non package tourist 18.53 per cent of
his total expenditure on foodldrinks.
Eliciting appreciation of an unfamiliar cuisine involves a great deal more than reparing authentic
local food and serving it in clean and pleasan surroundings. Ld e many visitors may like to eat with

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place settings and implem "a nts to which they are accustomed, it is always exciting for them %o have
the option of eating ps the locals do. For example, one of the most popular restaurants in New Delhi,
is the Bukhara at the Welcomgroup Maurya Sheraton. At the Bukhara, which features northwest
frontier food, there are no knives and forks. In keeping with ' its style, visitors are expected to eat with
their fingers. Most guests are delighted to put on the roomy aprons, which the restaurant. supplies,
and to dig into the kababs and rotis with their fingers, even if they have never eaten in this way
before. It is part of the experience.
As almost every Indian knows, Indian food served' in traditional vessels is tastier and more enjoyable

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to eat than that which is served ip a plate with spoons, forks and knives. 'Ihere is a special pleasure in
eating in a thali, or in having tea in a mud kholk, or dams on a banana leaf. Presenting genuine local
specialities in the way they are normally served adds to the pleasure of eating them. But, here again,

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it has to be done in a way which is wmfortable and enjoyable for those. to whom this is a novel
experience. In other words, the restaurant or home should be geared to that style of eating and those
who come here should know in advance that the food and the style in which it is to be served will be
a little different to what 'they are accustomed. Restaurants such as Vishala in Ahmedabad and
Chaukidhani outside Jaipur are other he examples of how this has been done succesfully.

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Speciality restaurants, such as these, are one way in which visitors and local residents can 'plug into'

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cultures and customs that are different from their own. However, even a more general sort of
restaurant can offer its guests an exciting and authentic culinary experience by arranging food
fesUvds which bring alive the cuisine of a region or a community for a brief period. This is often done
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through .appropriate decor, music, serving style and of course, authenticdy flavoured specialities. A
coffee shop for example, becomes a South Indian restaurant every weekend. Rangoli designs on the
doorstep and a doorway of banana fronds outside announce the change of style. In the restaurant all
the food is served on banana leaves and a chef makes fiesh dosas for all those who want it, in addition
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to all the other special foods for which the south is famous. Regular visitors to this restaurant know
about its weekend transformation and make plans to go there during this time. At the same time there
would be people who may not otherwise patronise this particular restaurant but come here to sample
their special wares which have established an excellent reputation in the town. .The other kind of
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food festival is a one time event, organised for a limited pedod, such as a week or 10 days. If it is a
food festival featuring another country, it is often possible to get assistance in the way of information
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and materials from-airlines and embassies who are glad of the opportunity to promote their own
countries.
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CUSTOMS
In a food festival the ambience of atmosphere is ah important element in planning and executing the
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event. Hence, this brings us to @e customs of a particular culture.

A delightfully easy means of achieving this is through participation. People on holiday often enjoy
getting involvd with a 'hands on' experience. In several hotels in Rajasthan, this is done by using the
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Visitors' fascination for local clothes. Turbans and 1ebng.s (Indian form of long skirts) intexest almost
everyone who goes to Rajasthan. To wear a turban or a skirt and attend a theme dinner, where local
food is served and local dancers invite the diners to join them in their simpler dances makes a joyous
occasion for all concerned. Instead of passively watching things as they have probably done in their
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sightseeing buses all day, t& visitors are being asked to dress up and to take part in a locaT style of
dancing. This at once becomes a festive and kernorable occasion.
In goa, on a river cruise up the river Mandovi in Panaji, passengers are entertained by a local band
and dancers. They get a taste of Goan music and dance and soon they are being asked to join in the
simpler choruses. Long after the holiday is over the holidaymakers remember the song and its catchy
tune. They have carried away a little bit of Goa with them, in addition to souvenirs and memories of
Goan beaches.
Theme dinners are an effective way in which an entire holiday experience can be built around a local
meal. In dealing with tour groups, theme dinners are often built into a particular package and
sometimes prove to be a highlight of the holiday. A banquet area can be transformed into a village for

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a rustic theme, or a palace for a royal banquet, or anything else that the travel professional's
imagination can devise. An exciting variation can be a theme dinner in spectacular I location, such as
the ramparts of a lbcal fort or on a cliff overlooking the sea, or on a barge on the river. The
imagination and innovation that travel professionals bring to their jobs can ensure that there are no
ends to the-number of themes h that are possible in a country so culturally rich as ours: Here again,
the ingredients of a successful feme dinner wodd be : atmosphere, participation, authentic cuisine,
convincing fantasy, and an adequate degree of animation.
The conqt of animation is something which is just beginning to be taken seriously in our country. A

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simpler way of putting it would be to call it participatory activity. A visitor to a new city is often
overwhelmed by all there is to see. This is particularly true of India where every travel destination
has such a wealth af monuments and bazars, emporiums and places of interest. However, to the

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visitor, a great deal of the day's activity consists of trailing through one monument after another,
passively absorbing information being offered by guides and brouchures, taking in innumerable new
impressions and merely looking on. As a change and relief from all this passivity, it is necessary for
visitors to be able to take part in some enjoyable activities to round out the day. Hotels and'travel
professionals can make this possible by creating events and activities that provide excitement and

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pleasure. For example, kite flying in season, elephant or came4 rides, hands on demonstration of local

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crafts including cooking, games and treasure hunts and pastimes of every sort can complete an
individual's day in a happy and interesting manner. And this is where local games and customs can
be woven into a strangers itinerary to enrich his or her experience of being in a new environment. It is
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not enough to make all the arrangements for an individual's visit. If we are to grow as a travel
destination, it is essential that we look seriously at the idea of animation and see if we can animate
places such as monuments and scenic areas in addition to hotels. Sound and Light shows, activity
related trails through major monuments, post offices cum cafes at tourist-friendly locations, music
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and dance are all ways in which we can make destinations jn India more appealing for all those who
visit them and for all those who could be motivated to come.

Q5. Why is it essential for tourism professionals to sensitise visitors towards the feelings of the
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local populace ?
Ans. Tourism has many benefits, both for the host country/region and its people and for those who
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are visiting. However, there is also a destructive side to unthinking mass tourism that we need to
guard against. Visitors can and must be sensitized to the environment to which they are going. If they
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are to participate meaningfully in the customs or festivals of a community, they must come in a
respectful and open frame of mind. While it is not possible to ensure such attitudes, it is certainly
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essential for a member of the tourism trade to do eventing in his or her power to prepare a visitor by
providing information in the forq of written material and verbal communication to attune them to the
unfamiliar $ironmen they are about to enter. They can also warn them of those things which may
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cause unwitting offense or embarrassment.

A happy travel experience is one in which both the visitor and those who have been visited
experience a high degree of comfort. Taken in its widest connotation, this not only means physical
comfort in the way of having a clean and pleasant place to stay, sit, travel, eat and exist, but also a
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psychic comfort that comes from being-at ease in one's mind. The visitor should be coddent that he or
she is doing the right thing and is not being asked or expected to do something that may be too far
outside their experience. A westerner unused to Indian ways, for example, may find it disturbing to
have to take off his or her shoes and walk barefoot down an alley that leads to a temple or a dargrb.
Similarly an Indian is often very uncomfortable with the idea of jootha (first eaten by someone else)
food being passed around, which a Westerner may not even notice. , . Often, comfort of this sort
comes from being prepared, from having some idea of what to expect and being willing to participate
in an activity which may be unfamiliar. Which brings us once again to the pivotal role of information
being provided to a visitor. This is true not only for overseas visitors to India but also 1 for domestic
tourists (Indians from one state or community visiting another area). The failure to provide adequate

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information often results .in a situation which may be seen in almost any popular hill station. For
example, tourist buses pour I in with holidaymakers at their most inconsiderate. They litter the small
hill town, fill it with loud music and louder chattet, complain because they do not have all the big city
amenities they are accustomed to, and treat the local people as either ! slaves or crooks. Examples of
this abound in popular tourist destinations and I may account for the antipathy many local residents
feel for those very visitors who bring prosperity to their towns and villages. This is true of what is
happening in many hill areas such as Mussorie, Ooty, Nainital and in other places of tourist ' interest
all over the country such as Goa.

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A great deal of the misunderstanding and resentment caused by todm can and must be mitigated by
thaw involved in the tourist trade. The later have the potential to act as mediators between the
various expectations and demands that tourism engenders. It is always worth the time and trouble to

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explain local customs and to keep local sensibilities in mind. Visitors should enjoy their visit but not
at the cost of the local populace. The keywords to remember in this area would be preparation and
planning as is true of almost any field of activity. Do your homework and share your information
would be an ideal motto for every person involved in tourism. In addition, the ability to stay cheerful,
"think positively and to make each event exciting and valuable are all important qualities for a

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tourism professional to develop if he or she is to accomplish anything.

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Q6. Describe the places a tourist can visit while residing at Kovalam.
Ans. Kovalam is a quiet and small resort, around 16 km from Thiruvananthapuram (formerly known
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as Trivandrum), a capital city at the southern tip of Kerala. We shall discuss here the development of
Kovalam into a famous beach resort.
Three decades back Kovalam was an unknown, tiny remote fishing village. Only some fishermen's
families lived there. The Maharajah of Travancore handpicked this tiny coastal village and built a
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delightful retreat for himself. Kovalam came to be known as the Summer Resort of the Maharajah of
Travancore. High atop a natural hill overlooking Arabian Sea stands Halcyon Castle that was once
the residence of the Travancore Maharajah. Colonel Godavarama Raja, a member of the Travancore
Royal family, was the man behind the upliftment of the beach to the present stage. The first
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commercialized tourism development started in Kovalam with the Inauguration of ITDC's Five Star
Kovalam Ashok Beach Resort in 1973. Considering the steady growth of international and domestic
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tourist arrivals, ITDC further extended the size of its accommodation by adding 72 rooms in the five
star category. Private sec- : tor also started entering the accommodation industry around the same
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time. A team of UN experts on tourism who visited India recommended the development of Kovalam
as an international seaside resort. . V Except for the monsoon stretch from May to August, when rain,
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high winds and rough waters stop beach activities, Kovalam is an idyllic year round destination.
Here the average minimum temperature is 20" centrigrade and maximum temperature is around 30"
centrigrade.
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Attractions
Kovalam consists of four beaches:
• The beach of Panathura is the name given to the rzmaining stretch of beach up to
Valiyathura, near Sankumugham beach in Thiruvananthapuram.
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• The beach of Amballam stretches south-east from the bus stop at Kovalam.
• The beach of Avaduthura near the light house is also known as light house beach.
• The beach of Cheriyamannu lies between the Inspection Bungalow and Hotel Rockholm.
Kovalam is regarded as an excellent beach for a number of reasons. There is good surf and the water
is ideal for aquatic'sports such as srl2rhei1ng, sailing and water skiing. Going out too far is not
recommended unless you are familiar with the tides. In addition to the facilities for aquatic sports
there is a Golf course and a tennis court at the ITDC complex. Because the headlands are so
structured, rocky outposts carve out small bays which are fringed by date palms. Each bay thus
exudes a quietness and, exclusiveness since it is not easily accessible across the beach front. Going
into the interior seas on thin dugouts called 'Catamarans' along with the fisher- { man is there for

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those who like to have some adventure. This topsy turvy nde over the racy waters of India's deep
southern seas can be a memorable experience. In the evenings one can also play beach vol~eyball and
frisbee with the local people.
Many fishing enthusiasts swear by the beauty of Kovalam waters. Fishes are in plenty and if you are
an experienced angler you can bring in your own fish catch every day and ask the local restaurants to
cook it for you. Since sea food is the mainstay of the regional cuisine, a mouth watering array of
preparation await the gourmet. Visitors can indulge in a spot of yoga on the beach or have traditional
oil massage with ayurvedic herbal oils at the health centre. Experts at the Yoga and Health Centre at

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Kovalam teach yoga and transcendental meditation. The Yoga and ayurvedic massage facilities at
Kovalam makes it unique'among beach resorts. Spectacular sunsets and marvellous open air
Kathakali performance in the dim temple lights round off perfect ' days at Kovalam.
Ancillary Attractions

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After's unset a 20 minute drive takes you back to Thiruvananthapuram city. The attractive state
capital is a seaside city. Built over seven rolling hills. Thiruvananthapuram mountains have stately
presence, very much in keeping with its past as the capital of the Maharajah of Travancore. A number
of palaces till today remain residences of the royaf family and are out of bounds for visitors.

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There is a unique wooden palace 53 kilometres away. The wooden architecture murals and

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craftsmanship of Padmanabhapuram Palace are a fascinating study in this, medium. The fabulous
Zoological and Botanical Gardens of the Napier Mweum and Zoo are open by 9 am on all days
except. Tlie visitor is offered a peep into the grand life style of the Maharajahs of Yore at the excellent
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Napier Museum which has a remarkable collection of art objects, jewelry, bronzes, stone carvings and
ancient musical instruments.
Sri Chitra Art Gallery in the museum and zoological complex has arr excellent section dedicated to
the paintings of Raja Ravi Varma. Old and modern paintings from all over the world are exhitiited
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here. Thiruvananthapuram is famous for a number of traditional handicrafts as well as the 'Kathakali'
dance form. Bell metal lamps, ivory and wood carvings, handicrafts and paintings from screw pine,
leaf and coconut shells are universal buys.
Fascinating back waters cruise on country boats rowed by local people is an added attraction. This is
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available at Thiruvallam and goes round a village where tourists can see coir making, tropical plants
and spices.
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The major acommodation unit in Kovalam is the ITDC's Kovalam Ashok Beach Resort, situated on a
natural hill overlooking the arbian Sea. The Halcyon castle in front of the Ashok Hotel has been
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converted into deluxe hotel. There are luxurious beach cottage called the plam grove situated right on
the beach front. The main side side. Every room faces the sea and has its own sun desk. Another unit
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of 64 iooms is "nearing construction which also faces the ocean. During the Eighth Five Year Plan
(1992-97), the number of beds in Kovalam is proposed to be increased. to 2000. Reach and Island
Resorts : Kovalmn and Lakshadweep Krala Tourism Development Corporation has a two star hotel
hr

Samudw. There are quite a few private hotels as well as small paying guest outlets. The details of
accommodation units in Kovalam Beach Resort are enclosed in and give information about Star hotels
and bed capacity in Kerala. An excellent choice of Indian and Continenta! food is available at
Kovalam, but what seems to be the biggest attraction is the Kerala cuisine with its astonishing variety
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of coconut flavoured dishes. Fresh sea food coming from the coast is the basic ingredient of a Kerala
meal. Hot toddy flavoured pancakes, juicy pineapples, crisp fries made of jack-fruit, tapioca and
banana all go to make a mouth watering experience.

Q7. What is Pilgrimage tourism? Critically analyse the future of pilgrim tourism in India.
Ans. Pilgrimage and tourism are closely related. Tourist industry fetches large number of 'local
tourists' mainly to pilgrim centres. Pilgrimage tourism helps greatly in travel promotion. You will
find that ever increasing demand for better travel facilities at pilgrim centres to cater to the large
number of pilgrim tourists has pressurised the state governments and tourism departments to come
up with concrete plans. Since this kind of tourism involves large profits it has attracted a number of

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private tour-operators to involve with it. We may cite the instance of Vaishno Devi. The journey in the
past was quite hazardous. Recently, however the roads have got totally rebuilt, and the transport is
easily available. Today Jarnmu is connected with every part of India by rail and by air. Similarly,
Tirupati, a small town, now has an airport. Trains now reach as far as Rameshwaram. Dwarika is also
well connected by road. Even shiplcruise facilities are available to visit Dwarika. Ajmer, again though
a small town, owes its importance almost wholly to Shaikh Muinuddin Chishti's shrine. En the annual
urs lakhs of people participate. Such travel promotion facilitates pilgrimage in particles areas and at
the same time it has soci~econornic implications too. largc number of devotees travelling to pilgrim

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centres generate handsome revenue and are the source of livelihood to hundreds of those who
depend on the tourists inflow.
Pilgrimage is an ancient form of mobility and a fundamental precursor to modern tourism.

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Traditionally, it applies to journeys with a religious purpose, but it can also refer to
secular travel with particular importance for the pilgrim. Espousing a distinctive ritual structure,
pilgrimage is often considered to be personally and collectively transformative. Though
individually experienced, pilgrimage is a social process developed iteratively over time; pilgrims
walk in the footsteps of Others. In this sense, pilgrimage implies a ritualized, hyper-meaningful

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journey both inward and outward to a person’s or group’s sacred center, set apart from everyday

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life, and built on rich mythological representations and symbolic markers.
There are many pilgrim centres which were earlier small places, but on account of their ~eligious
Importance have now emerged as big towns. Katra, a small town in Jammu, now has a chain of small
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hoteIs. Similarly, Shirdi, a very small village, now on account of the increasing popularity of Shirdi
saint's shrine is fast developing into a big town with a nurnber of luxury hotels coming up.
The scope of pilgrimage tourism can be called area specific in the sense that if one is the devotee of a
particular sect/religion/shrine, he will visit repetitively those places where his worshipping deity
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resides. After sometime, owing to lack of 'any other adventure' he may lose some interest, unless
otherwise motivated. This, no doubt, indicates a limited scope for the growth of pilgrimage tourism.
On the contrary adventure tourism has a field wide open right from the Himalayas down to Cape
Comorin. In spite of this limited scope pilgrimage tourism has enough potential to develop domestic
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tourism. If one analyses the location of traditional pilgrimage tourist spots one finds that our
forefather had tremendous sense of geography in identifying pilgrim centres. They have chosen the
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places or localities which are associated with rivers, streams, their confluences, coasts or hill tops.
They have associated pilgrim with 'geopiety'. Tirtha yatras provided them opportunity to break away
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from the cares and worries of the mundane wprld. The locations of the traditional pilgrim centres are
such that it can always serve dual pbrpose of pilgrimage and adventure. If one goes to Dwarika one
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can not resist the charm of seeing Porbandar coast; if you plan to visit Puri dham can you refrain from
covering the 'golden triangle' (Puri, Bhubaneshwar and Konark). If you are visiting Rameshwaram,
will you not like to admire the sea at Kanyakumari A visit to Vaishno Devi's shrine will certainly
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excite your urge to go for trekking. Similarly, while landing at Guwahati can you restrict your visit to
Kamakhya temple only! Will the serene calm of Brahamputra and charm of Kaziranga forests not lure
you? This clearly indicates that one can not restrict pilgrimage tourism to specific area boundaries. It
has tremendous potential to develop domestic tourism. Similarly, this also shows that for a particular
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centre to become a tourist centre it need not be a pilgrim centre first. It can happen other way also.
Pilgrim centres in India Can well be divided into two categories: Firstly, there are certain centres
which are dlready established ceritres of pilgrimage from ancient times e.g., - Badrinath, Kedarnath,
Tirupati, Vaishno Devi, etc. Second type of pilgrim centres are those which on account of their
geopolitical situation and availability of space and other amenities facilitated the development of a
pilgrim centre. Ajmer Sharif got patronage of the Mughal rulers for its being situated at a strategic
point. Mughal rulers' visits to Ajmer used to serve dual purpose of keeping in check Rajput rulers'
activities as well as keeping an eye over the Gujarat route. Similarly, in Maharashtra, Ganapatiphule
(in Ratnagiri district) is the pilgrim centre for the worship of Ganapati, but it is recorded in the
gazetteer that it was just a hamlet and was not much-reputed for its Ganapati shrine. In fact, it was a

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shift in the 'political' power from Vidarbha to Pune that provided enough impetus for it to develop
into a leading pilgrim centre.
Q8. Write an essay on Kalinga-Bali-Yatra?
Ans. The present state of Orissa once formed part of the ancient kingdom of Kalinga. As early as 5th
and 4th centuries BC ports flourished in this area. There was regular interaction via sea-route between
the ports of Orissa and Ceylon, Java, Sumatra, Borneo and Bali. By the beginning of the Christian era
the merchants from Orissa established cultural and trade ties with countries like Indonesia, Malaysia
and Cambodia. Bali, Java and Sumatra were the ports most frequented by the merchants from Orissa.

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Maritime history of Kahnga sailors ltes littered m these islands of Indonesia. The ancient sailors and
sea-faring merchants did not care to leave their foot-prints upon the sands of time as kings have left
m the form of inscriptions. But even today glimpses of their adventurous voyages to distant lands are

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presencd through celebration of popular festivals.
One such festival falls on Kartik Purnima Day when the traditional Bali Yatra Festival is observed in
Onssa every year. This festival is reminiscent of Orissa's maritime links with Suvarna Dwipa of by-
gone days of which the island of Bali is a part. On this day colowful paper boats are floated in tanks,
rivers or sea reminding the present generation of the hundreds of Kalinga merchants who used to set

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sail on high seas in pursuit of maritime glory. So great was the fame of Kalinga as a maritime power

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in ancient times that Kalidas in his Ragbuvamsa referred to the King of Kalinga as "The Lord of the
Sea" (Mahodadhipati). The Aryamanjusrimulakalpa, a text of Mahayana Buddhism, refers to "All
islands in the Kalinga Sea" (Kalingaodresu). It seems from these accounts that the eastern sea or the
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modem Bay of Bengal was known in the past as the "Kalinga Sea" being dominated by the ships of
Kalinga. To revive our age-old cultural, social and economic relations with the Indonesian islands
in'general and Bali in particular, a humble beginning was made to revive the Bali Yatra or Voyage to
Bali retracing the ancient trade route.
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A portion of Java island was then known as Ho-ling which is interpreted as a variant of the word
'Kalinga'. Similarly, the people of Tri-Kalinga who colonized in Burma, are known as Talaing. Bali
and Java were important centres for the spregd of Indian culture in Indonesia. Sreevijaya monarchs of
Indonesia were known to be great patrons of art having intimate trade links with Kalinga, Gouda
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(Bengal) and other coastal states of India. A voyage from Kalinga coast to Java or Bali islands in those
days used to take about 40 r days. With the decline of Bahmanical and Buddhist dynasties in
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Indonesia and Malaysia, thex maritime links with the Kalinga coast gradually diminished.
The Bali Yatra, boat expedition or voyage to Bali during 1992-93 was a modest attempt at retracing the
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old trade route to Bali and in the process re-discovering the cultural ties between the two countries.
The ancient traders of Kalinga were daring the seas on big sail boats, the replica of which can be seen
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in the temple walls of Puri and Konark the objectives of this event.
The KaUnga-Bali Yatra was organised with certain broad objectives in mind. One of the objectives
was to focus the attention on Orissa as a destination for tourists from India and abroad. The more
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specific target group in this case was the tourists from South-East Asia. It was felt that Orissa with a
beautiful landscape and vast beaches could be an ideal place for tourists. Another objective was to
highlight the rich cultural heritage of Orissa which dates back to around 2500 years. Till now the Bali
Yatra Festivql was a modest festival involving mainly the local people. Now an effort was made to
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make it a big cultural festival inviting larger participation from other parts of India and abroad.
To plan and execute such an ambitious project was not an easy task. The State Government was not
very well equipped to take a sea voyage of such magnitude. Therefore, a decision was taken to seek
the good offices of Indian Navy for providing a sail boat to complete the adventurous voyage from
Orissa coast to Bali and back. In honouring the request of the State Government the Indian Navy
identified INSV Samudra, a 13 metre, twin-masted fibre-glass yacht, to undertake this voyage of six
thousand nautical miles with seven crew memben. It was decided that the yacht would leave Paradip
on 10th November 1992 and touch Gopalpur, Vizag and Madras enroute. Thereafter it would sail for
Campbell Bay (Nicobar Island) touching Nagapamam and reach Benoa Harbour. The yacht was
required to call on the ports of Pedang, Jakarta and Surabaya, all in Indonesia. It was decided that the

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voyage at the end of first leg would be given a grand reception at Bali with large scale cultural
activities.
On the Kartik Purnima day of 1992 (10th November) the Kalinga-Bali Yatra Festival started off on a
colourful note at Paradip port in the presence of a very large gathering exceeding 20 thousand people.
Shri Biju Pamaik, Chief Minister, Orissa was personally present at the flag-off ceremony of INSV
Samudra at Paradip and Vizag. Vice Admiral B. Guha and the Charge-de-Affairs of the Embassy of
Indonesia were also present. Presentation of fascinating items from Odissi, Chhau, Sambalpuri dance
repertoire and decoration of the Wet Basin in traditional ethnic Oriya style lent further colour to the

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festival. "Boita Bandana" ballet evocative of ritualistic send off of the merchant ship of the past
preceded the commencement of the voyage. At Vizag Dr. Mrs. Gita Reddi, Tourism Minister of
Andhra Pradesh, Sri A.U. Singh Deo, Tourism Minister, Orissa and Vice Admiral B. Guha were the

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distinguished guests present. At Madras the Governor of Tamil Nadu flagged-off the boat. At
Gopalpur Sri S.K. Kar, Minister, Culture, Orissa and Sri S.N. Patra, Minister, Fishery and Animal
Husbandry, Orissa were the guests of honour of the members of the crew.
Passage Madras-GNI: The yacht cast off from Madras on 28 Nov 92 in a 25 knot wind and heavy rain.
The yacht steered south so as to be clear of the cyclone prone belt. The wind force of 20-25 knots and

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sea state four/five continued throughout the two week passage to Great Nicobar Island. On the thud

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day out at sea, beating against the wind and swe:!, the steel rudder chain snapped. The emergency
tiller was rigged directly onto the rudder and steering continued in the rough seas from the quarter
deck. A hand held bearing compass helped the course keeping. On examination of the broken chain, a
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number of links with stress shears were noticed. A fresh chain was demanded from HQ, Eastern
Naval Command. B The wind slowly backed from NE to ENE. The yacht's broad beat to GNS
resulted in large quantity of water ingress through the gaps in the three deck hatches. The side ports
were also observed to leak. Constant pumping out of the bilges was resorted to by the crew and its
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morale continued to remain high inspite of the arduous living and sailing conditions. The yacht
entered GNI on the night of 10 Dec 92. INS Saviui and LCU L37 led by the Garrison Engineer of
Project Yatrik gave a warm welcome. During the five days stay in Campbell Bay, the rudder cham
was repaired. A thorough check of all gear was also carried out.
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Q9. Describe European Tourist Market for India.

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Ans. European Tourist Market

1. Non etbnic: The tourists from continental Europe are non- ethnic. Hence, they require more
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motivational force to visit India.

2. Competitive: Competition is increasing as never before because almost all countries of the world,
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particularly the developing countries, have now developed tourism infrastructure and they want to
achieve optimum utilisation of the facilities by getting the maximum number of tourists, if necessary,
by price war.
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3. Complex: Europe is a complex market because of diierent languages, different cultures and diierent
economic systems.
4. Seasonality: Seasonality is a big problem in case of Operation Europe. For this, we are ourselves
responsible to some extent because for the last 30-40 years we have been telling the world that the
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best season to visit India is October to March. As a result, our facilities get overstretched in winter and
understretched in summer. Hence, there is no evenly spread traffic throughout the year from Europe.
5. Image of India: The objectives and priorities of the western media are different. They do not have
time or space for the third world countries, except when there is war, famine, riots, tragedies or
political upheavel. Besides, we have the problem of date line. When Mr. Asish Ray reports from Delhi
on CNN about cholera in Bangladesh, with the map of Indian sub-continent in the background,
Gewers think the epidemic is in India. Frankly, sometimes for us, no news is the best news.
6. Current Industry Structure: Mergers and take-overs keep taking place in the tourism industry of
Europe. The European industry is now dominated by the large German companies. Among the top 50
tour operators of Europe, 12 slots are occupied by the German companies, 10 slots belong 1 to UK

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companies. 'Italy and France occupy 6 and 5 places respectively. That German companies
predominate is not surprising. They have the largest domestic market and are alsomulti-modal (i.e.
they offer multi-type products). They have also invested more in other markets than most of the
French or British (though no more than the Swiss, Swedes or some of the Italian companies). German-
groups are also generally strongly committed to downstream investment in hotels and inbming
agencies.
For instance, the Germans now dominate the Benulux markets; since its purchase of' Sunsnacks in
1991, NUR has an estimated 50 % of the market, and a further 35 % is occupied by Sun Internatidnal

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with its close ties to ITS.
This invasion has given rise to the complaints by the Belgian operators that German operators use the
Belgian market to dump excess capacity at give awa) prices. The Netherlands is dso "colonised" with

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its twc .ading travel companies, Holland International and Arke, being owned by ITS and TUI
respectively of Germany. NUR of Germany, Hotelplan of Switzerland and Nouvelles Frontiers of
France are also strong in the Dutch market.
These are a few examples. We need to keep ourselves abreast with these market developments,
otherwise. you may have to face an embarassing situation that I did recently. There is a tour gompany

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in Stuttgart, which used to put about 40 to 50 passengers per week on the Charter flight to Goa. While

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discussing with the Charter operator, I found that the Stuttgart company was not doing so well this
year. I had a very good rapport with the chairman of the company, so when I happened to be in
Stuttgart recently, I went to this company and entered his room, I found a different face. L retreated
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quickly and went to the Marketing Manager who 10th after India. She told me in whispers that the
company has recently been sold to ITS.

Q10. Write short notes on the followings:

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a) SITA
Ans. A leader in conducted package tours to all parts of the world, had its genesis in a student's
bicycle joint. In the year 1933 Jack C. Dengler formed the Students International Travel Association in
New York. Under its auspices a group of nine students went for a European tour on bicycles. Among
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these was a girl Helen who got manied to Jack. In 1936 a proper office was opened in New York. It
was named SITA. Soon the Denglers opened a travel bureau - SITA World Travels Inc. After
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expansion in US the fmt overseas office was opened in London in 1955. An extensive training
programme was mooted for personnel to manage SFA offices. Among these was Mr. Inder Shanna
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(Present Chairman of SITA World Travel India Pvt. Ltd.) who returned to India and set up a small
office in ~e;ll' Delhi in 1956. Only three people manned the office and in the fitst year they handled
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eight groups of American tourists. Soon branches were opened in Bombay and Calcutta In 1963 SITA
was converted into an Indian Private Limited Company though Jack Dengler was still the Chairman
and a majh shareholder. The participating capital was provided by Mr. Inder Sharma. The same year
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SlTA grew from a small tour operator into a full fledged travel agency.
In 1970 Dengler sold his entire shareholding in the company to Indian shareholders. However, SITA
continues having association with SITA offices world over and enjoys their confidence. SITA India is
a member of the WATA (World Association of Travel Agencies). Over the years matketmg offices
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were opened in Paris, Milan and Frankfurt. Besides, local representatives were appointed in London,
Tokyo and Stockholm. Today SITA has a team of over 700 trained professionals with offices in 21
cities in India and 5 overseas offices. It is not just a travel agency but has diversified its functions like:
human resource development, publications, fellowships and the most recent one is a venture into the
accommodation sector - the Heritage village.
SITA is not only operating and earning profits as a Travel and Tours company, Over the years, it has
tried to contribute in various areas of the trade. Such activities are undertaken not to make profits but
to make positive contributions in the areas of trade from which one is earning.
SITA Travel and Tourism Academy The demand for trained human resources is increasing fast, but
there are few institutions to train the manpower suitable to industry. With this view in mind SITA

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started the academy to provide trained human resources. The two important courses run by the
academy are: i) Travel and Tourism Course This course provides an overall coverage of practical and
theoretical aspects of tourism. ii) Ticketing Course The course has been designed to provide practical
knowledge of various aspects of travel agency activities
The Magazine INDRAMA The company brings out the above named magazine which is published
quarterly. It covers the richness of Indian heritage, culture and geographical diversity. The magazine
provides rich tourist literature for attracting tourists to India. Accordng to the company the magazine
is read by around 4 lac people from various walks of life and a potential cliental group.

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International Fellowship Foundation of India SITA played an important role in the founding of this
trust. The trust provides scholarships to students opting for tourism studies and organises lectures
etc.

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The Heritage Village The Company is developing heritage village and resorts. These will definitely
contribute towards providing better tourism facilities.
b) The Heritage Hotels
Ans. The concept of heritage hotels is not new the world - particularly Eufope where the French
chains of Relasis et Chateaux, the, British chains of Small Lmwy Hotels, the Spanish Paradores and

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several othk link some very historic and exquisite pa)philtres into hotel chains. These are usually

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visited by couples, families and small groops of friends rather than hordes of tourists in busloads
because the buildings of heritage hotels were never intended for habitation or hospitality on a large
scale. 'Bey, in fact, mostly cater to the Spedd Interest tourism.
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At the time of India's Independence in 1947, over 500 ruling princes combined their lands to join the
erstwhile British territories and form the new, dem&c nation of India.
Following the Independence, however, things began to change. 'he royalty which had allied too i
closely with the British and which were often seen by the nationalists as the puppets of the foreign
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rulers were first rnargmaked by the ruling government In 1950, the Jagmhri system was abolished
and the erstwhile rulers and nobles had m lean to earn their living. Then, (what is seen by the
supporters of royalty as a breach of trust), the privy purses were discontinued in 1970 and the titles of
the rulers were abolished by law, making them common Indian citizens. The host of forts, royal
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palaces within and outside their cities, shikar badis or haunting palaces, out houses, water palaces,
mountain retreats and beach houses began to be neglected bd fall into disrepair. For most of the
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erstwhile rulers, this change was not easy to take and it seemed a matter of pride to hold on to these
properties rather than think of doing something constructive with them. When Maharaja Man Sing I1
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of Jaipur (1922-1949) first toyed with idea of shifting out of the sprawling Rambagh Palace to a
smaller one which used to be lived in by the British Resident, he was sure to be met by a strong
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opposition even from within his family.

On 8 December 1957 the Ram Bagh Palace Hotel was formally opened and the Maharaja of Jaipur
became the first active princely hotelier in India, setting a trend which has continued down to the
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present day. Ram Bagh Palace was expanded in 1969, from twenty-six rooms to eight and, in 1972,
came under the management of the Taj Group of Hotels.
Udaipur followed soon. From 1961 to 1969 the Jag Niwas Palace was transformed from a crumbling
palace to the stunning Lake Palace. In 1971, India's oldest hoteliers the Tatas took over its
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management under the Taj Group of Hotels. The first restoration, construction and extension
included only 20 rooms at the back but later, many more were added and the entire character of the
garden palace was changed. Perhaps it can be reasoned that it is better to transform a ruin by
changing its end use when no constructive use can be made of a crumbling ruin. For travellers the
Lake Palace Hotel is an undeniable boon, providing an incomparable and voluptuous glimpse of the
pleasures that once were the preserve of princes. To open one's eyes in dreamy freedom upon the
broad waters of the Pinchola as the Ranas were wont to do is a privilege not to be missed.
The concept of heritage is being applied in other ways also. For exainple, a hotelier got the traditional
wooden houses of Kerala dismantled from different places. They were put up again near the back

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waters in an area and a new resort 'Coconut Lagoan' came into existence. In Goa also some of the
traditional villas that housed Portuguese officials or landlords are being converted into hotels.
with an associated sense of nostalgia how palacy, havelies, castles, fork, etc. have become one of the
major tourist interests of India These were the hereditary properties of ruhng princes or chieftains at
some point of time. Some of these palaces, etc. have been converted into hotels by the owners in
collaboration with esrablished hotel groups. However, a large number of properties still remain with
the original owners and many of them are now in a state of decay and disuse. Recently some of the
owners, particularly in Rajasthan have taken the initiative to convert their own properties into hotels.

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They have not wme to any arrangement with the established chains and have retained the ambience
of their traditional life style. They have made some improvements in deference of requirements of
modem life style in terms of fittings in toilets etc. but otherwise the shape of the properties are as they

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were originally. This has proved' immensely popular with tourists who are interested in seeing the
country and find staying in these traditional residences more attractive than conventional hotels.
Hitherto these properties could not be classified or approved as hotels under the system adopted by
the Ministry of Tourism as the norms and rules are relate to conventional hotels and these properties
do not fit the norm. This includes crite &a such as: size of the rooms, e the toilet, carpeting and

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various other facilities.

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It was quite clear that to follow the norms for conventional hotels would not be effective if applied to
these traditional residences such as palaces, have lies, etc. Also in case the & norms are imposed they
would take away from the ambience of these residences and would lead to traditional nature of these
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buildings being lost. It was, therefore, necessary to adopt the norms which would preserve the
traditional nature of the buildings and the traditional life style which are especially attractive to
tourists. Accordingly a new classification described as the Heritage Hotels was adopted in January,
1991 as an additional category. This was initially only m respect of hotels in Rajasthan and norms
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were finalised by the Department of Tourism m consultation with the State Government and the
Heritage Hotels Association of Rajasthan which has membership of most of the properties which are
run by the owners of these traditional residences. Subsequently the scheme has been extended to
other States as well. Several States such as Andhra Pradesh, Kamataka, Kerala indicated their
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willingness to subscribe to this category. It has already been introduced in Madhya Pradesh and
Tamil Nadu. , Other States like Onssa and U.P. also have shown their interest and are pursuing the
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matter. Besides the commercial aspect another argument in favour of the scheme is that it helps in the
conservation of our Monuments.
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