B.

A (TOURISM STUDIES) (BTS)

(ODL MODE)

PROJECT GUIDE

VALID FROM JULY 2021

SESSION

BTS
(PTS-1, PTS-2)

School of Tourism and Hospitality Services Management

INDIRA GANDHI NATIONAL OPEN UNIVERSITY
New Delhi
PROGRAMME COORDINATOR : Dr. Arvind Kumar Dubey, Associate
Professor, SOTHSM

COURSE COORDINATOR : Dr. Arvind Kumar Dubey, Associate Professor,

SOTHSM

EDITOR
Dr. Arvind Kumar Dubey, Associate Professor, SOTHSM

PRINT PRODUCTION
Mr. Sanjay Aggarwal
Assistant Registrar,
MPDD, IGNOU, New Delhi-110 068

February, 2023
 Indira Gandhi National Open University, 2022
ISBN :
All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced in any form, by mimeograph or any
other means, without permission in writing from the Indira Gandhi National Open University.
Further information about the School of Health Sciences and the Indira Gandhi National Open
University courses may be obtained from the University’s office at Maidan Garhi, New Delhi-
110 068.

Printed and published on behalf of the Indira Gandhi National Open University, New Delhi by
Registrar, MPDD. Edited by: Dr. Arvind Kumar Dubey, Programme Coordinator - (BTS, BAVTM).

Laser Typesetting : Akashdeep Printers, 20-Ansari Road, Daryaganj, New Delhi-110002

Printed at :
 CONTENTS
Page No.
PART-1 General Information 5
1.1 What is a Project? 5
1.2 Preliminary Information 5
1.2.1 Project Supervision 5
1.2.2 Project Proposal 6
1.3 How Can the Supervisor Help You 7
1.4 How to Go About Working 7
1.4.1 Identifying a Theme 7
1.4.2 Collecting Data 8
1.4.3 Analyzing Data 9
1.4.4 Writing Your Project 9
1.4.5 Submission of Project Report 10
1.5 Evaluation 11
PART-2 Project Suggestions 12
2.1 Themes for PTS-1 (Project on Indian Culture, Environment and Tourism ) 12
2.2 Themes for PTS-2 (Project on Tourism Marketing) 14
PART-3 Annexure 15
Annexure A: Project Proposal Proforma 15
Annexure B : First Page of the Project Report 16
Annexure C : Certificate by the Supervisor 16
4
PROJECT GUIDE IN TOURISM STUDIES
PART-I: GENERAL INFORMATION
This guide has been prepared to assist you in your Project Work and to familiarize you with its various
aspects. You are advised to go through the guide before you begin work on the Project. The first part of
the booklet provides general guidelines; the second part suggests broad themes from which you may
identify your area of work; and the third part consists of annexure which give you a format in which to
supply basic information about the Project.

1.1 WHAT IS A PROJECT

A Project is a preliminary form of research. It is an independent investigation. It is very largely your own
work and is to be pursued by you all the way from the inception till completion. The purpose of the Project
Work is to enable you to gain practical experience. Through the Project you will be expected to put into
practice all that you have learnt about that particular theme during your course work in the concerned
subjects. It is a way of applying the knowledge gained through the course to specific situations in Tourism.
Your Project Work PTS 1constitutes eight credits and PTS 2 constitutes 4 credits. This means that you are
expected to spend about 240 study hours in PTS 1 and 120 study hours in PTS 2 for completing your
project work. Award of the degree is subject to a successful completion of your Project. To be able to
successfully complete the degree you must secure a minimum of 40% of marks (Grade D). We would
prefer to receive a typed and bound copy of your Project Work. If, however, you find it difficult to
get it typed, make sure that your work is neatly and legibly hand-written on one side of the page
only. The format of the front page is given in Annexure B. The length of your Project Work may be
between 8000 to 10000 words for PTS-1 and 4000 to 5000 words for PTS-2. Keep both these things
(expected study hours and the expected length of your work) in mind while choosing the Project theme.
The idea is that you should be able to say all that you want to within this word limit. You are free to write
your Project in English or Hindi.

1.2 PRELIMINARY INFORMATION

Ideally the Project Work should start soon after you enroll for your degree. You are going to receive
guidance from your supervisor in the Project Work. Your supervisor is familiar with the skills of working on
such Projects.

1.2.1 Project Supervision

Your Project shall be guided by a supervisor recognized by the Indira Gandhi National Open University.
All counselors are recognized as supervisors for Project. A list of supervisors is available with the Coordinator
of your Study Centre. Once you have selected a broad area for your study, please contact your Coordinator/
Supervisor.
i) Eligibility criteria for BTS projects supervision:
 Any teacher in related field/discipline from recognized colleges/universities.
 A Graduate person with at least 5 years of managerial experience in any of the tourism/
hospitality related enterprise.

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 ii) Number of project/dissertation supervision per supervisor per semester
 BTS projects (PTS 1, PTS 2)-40
iii) Payment to Project/Dissertation Supervisor will be made as per University norms
The next step is to get in touch with your supervisor and prepare a Project Proposal.

1.2.2 Project Proposal

After identifying the area of study and a proper theme, you should prepare a Project Proposal/ Synopsis
in not more than 400 words. Your Proposal is essentially a description of what you propose to do and how
you intend to go about it. In your Proposal, you should outline the objectives of your study, mention the
kind of data that is available and state a work plan that you propose to follow. Proposal should also include
the issues you are going to raise while conducting your work. You may also discuss your Project Proposal,
with your friends and colleagues, your counselor and any experts in that field that you know about.
You should choose a theme which is to your liking and one which should sustain your interest.
It is very important that you are familiar with the geographical area you wish to base your theme on. It
should also be accessible to you. Generally it is a good idea to choose a surrounding which is close by, or
within your travelling range. It is a good thing to be close to one’s sources. .
Prepare two copies of your Proposal (preferably typed), obtain the approval of your supervisor on the
format given in Annexure A and send one copy on the following address:
Programme Coordinator (BTS & BAVTM)
School of Tourism and Hospitality Services Management
SOTHSM, Block 15 I,
Indira Gandhi National Open University,
Maidan Garhi,
New Delhi -110 068
Remember to:
 Keep a copy of the Proposal with you because we shall not send your copy back.
 Ensure that your Proposal is accompanied by a letter of approval by your supervisor.
 Send your Proposal through Registered Post only, so that it reaches us for sure.
 Do not change your topic or even its wording after you have sent the Proposal to us. In other
words, the topic of your Project Work should be the same as in your Proposal.
 Put the name and code of your course from which you have chosen your Project, your enrolment
number, the name of your Study Centre and the Regional Centre on the first page. In other words,
fill the proforma given in Annexure A very carefully.
 Do not wait for our approval of the Project Proposal. The approval of the Supervisor is
final.
 Now is the time for you to start working actively on your Project. In the next ‘section, we give you
an idea about the kind of help that you can expect from the IGNOU.

6
1.3 HOW CAN THE SUPERVISOR HELP YOU
The supervisor will:
 acquaint you with such local groups and agencies as may be relevant to your work;
 give you letters of authorization which would enable you to make enquiry and investigations in
different offices pertaining to your work;
 make accessible to you the library at the study centre for consultation purposes; and
 advise you, to the best of his/her efforts, about your theme, location of your data and general work
plan.

1.4 HOW TO GO ABOUT WORKING?

This is an application oriented course and should ideally be pursued at four different levels. Each level is
equally important and requires you to devote sufficient attention to it. The proportion of time spent at each
level, however, may vary depending on the nature of your theme.

1.4.1 Identifying a Theme

Do not hurry up with the theme/topic selection lest you regret it later. What specific methodology you are
going to adopt will depend on the theme you select.
You are expected to select your theme from the courses you have done for your diploma/degree. Some of
the themes that you can choose your topic from are given in part 2 of this guide. For example:
 In case you are interested to the theme on Indian Culture, you could take up - a study of the old
monuments in your area and local attitudes towards them, or local crafts, theatre groups, folk music,
patterns of urbanization in your town, impact of cinema on local culture etc. It should be clear that a
Project on a theme related to culture and attitudes will require, apart from general readings and library
work, skills of observation and a constant interaction with the people in the form of group meetings,
interviews, questionnaires etc.
 If you are interested to the theme on Ecology, Environment and Tourism, you can pick up as your
Project theme a documentation of the flora and fauna of your region, or on sources of water, or on
levels and sources of pollution in your town. These projects would require skills of observation and
documentation. On the other hand you could pick up issues pertaining to your environment,
environmental consciousness among different social groups, attitude of the media towards environment
related issues or the impact of the environmental degradation on the human population of your town.
As you can perhaps see for yourself, work of this kind will involve library work, surveys and interviews
etc.
 Similarly, if you are interested to the theme on Tourism Marketing, you could observe and comment
upon the management and functioning of a tourist agency, or the problems involved in the running of a
hotel or a restaurant, or on general issues related to the presence of outside tourists in your area, or a
general profile of the tourists coming to your town.

7
In short, the identification of your theme is directly linked to:
 your inclination towards particular area of study; and
 your working aptitude in pursuing that Project.
After identifying the area of your interest, you should discuss it with your supervisor and decide the topic
you want to work upon. Now prepare a Proposal about which you have already learnt in Sub- section
1.2.2. We would, however, like to emphasize here that preparing a Proposal is a very important stage in
your Project Work. Therefore, do not get unnecessarily worried if you find that this stage has taken up a
longer time than originally scheduled.

1.4.2 Collecting Data

Collecting data, please remember, is the most important stage of your Project Work since it provides all
the sources that you will eventually need while writing your Project.
Data collection begins after your topic has been identified and approved by your supervisor. It is a rigorous
process. The exact nature of your data collection depends on your theme. However, certain points need to
be kept in mind:
 It is always better to over collect than under collect your material. Eventually it is only half of it, and
sometimes even less than that, which is utilized directly in your report. But every piece of information
collected at this stage contributes to your knowledge of Tourism Studies. Do not get overwhelmed by
the volume of your data. Do not, therefore, leave opportunities of data collection, or put it off for
another day. You may not get the same opportunity again. Your sources, whether in the form of books,
documents, sights or people may not be always available to you.
 Some thinking, a system screening and monitoring are crucial in data collection. Certain principles of
selection and the development of a framework in which to operate are as useful before you begin the
work of data collection as they are during the process. If, for instance, you have to collect samples of
response! then spend some time in preparing your questionnaire. Consult your supervisor, speak to
experts in the field and read some literature related to it. Your questionnaire should evolve out of all
these. The kind of answers you get in your questionnaire will depend, to a very large extent, on the
kind of questions you ask. Time spent on this exercise will save you from landing into many problems
later. If you want to organize a group meeting, then selection of people, representation of cross-
sections and preparation, by you, of questions, statements and interventions in the debate will be
useful. Your ability to record or put down on paper various view points and arguments will enable you
to store material. Remember, these group meetings may not always proceed as you plan originally. If
it so happens do not get disheartened. Spontaneous and unanticipated responses are often very useful
material. The important principle is thorough home work so that you can approach your sources fully
prepared and equipped, intellectually and psychologically. .
Some important things to remember are given here:
 Classification and cataloguing of data will enable you to make an effective use of your material later.
 You should note the date and place etc. of the interviews taken.
 Maintaining separate files of different kinds of sources will help you later at the time of writing your
report.

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1.4.3 Analyzing Data
Analyzing data may not in all the cases exist as a separate stage. It often overlaps with the earlier and later
stages. Analysis of your source material begins immediately after you have started collecting data. Analyzing
data requires maintaining constant interaction with your source material, developing different ways in which
to look at your data, applying different interpretations to it and finally translating your material into a set of
arguments around which your report should be written. It is while going through your material again and
again that you become clear about the various aspects of the theme under investigation and the possibilities
it contains. This helps you in building your argument.
Remember, your data can be in the form of written records, articles, copies of rules and regulations,
impressions, recorded interviews, your own diary, observations, questionnaires, government documents,
newspaper clippings, and minutes of group meetings etc. In other words you will have access to material
collected from a variety of sources. As you sort them out you will realize that they contain facts and
information on the one hand and impressions and opinions on the other. Quite often the two may be at
variance with each other, and present a very complex and somewhat self-contradictory picture of things.
While retaining the complexity (that is to say not simplifying it unnecessarily) you have to avoid making
your report appear contradictory. You can do this by distinguishing facts from opinions and making
sure that other people’s judgments’ do not appear as your own. While scanning your data, for
example, you may find that an official document on a particular monument may be very different from
popular versions about the same monument. In another case, for Instance, media’s handling of the
environmental issues may not correspond with your own
discoveries in your region. In such situations you will have to record your own impressions without being
dismissive or unfaithful to other versions.

1.4.4 Writing Your Report

Having collected and analyzed your data, it is now time for you -to start writing. Needless to say you
should first jot down your main points, then prepare a rough draft of your narrative and finally write (or
type) your report. You can write in English or Hindi.
Your narrative may contain factual presentation along with your own views/opinions/observations. You
may attach with your Project Report any documents etc. which you feel will highlight / support your main
argument. If you have collected responses through a questionnaire as part of your data, you could attach
a copy of the questionnaire as well. Use of illustrations, graphs and diagrams etc. will depend on the nature
of your theme.
Originality and clarity are two vital components of your Project. Remember, your Project is a test of your
analytical capacity and skills of communication. Report writing is not just an exercise in recording your
impressions and writing your story. It is also an exercise in the organization of your ideas. Therefore, do
keep the following in mind while writing your report:
 Divide your report into sections and sub-sections. This gives certain coherence to your report and
prevents different ideas from spilling into different places.
 A well-structured report is easily comprehensible. Aims and objectives should therefore be stated
very explicitly even if there is some repetition.
 Writing an introduction is important as it gives a certain entry point to your report. Similarly a conclusion
helps you wind up your report and enables you to tie up various loose ends.

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 Your report should not read like an assemblage of different sections but should be an integrated and
structured whole. In other words you should divide your report into sections and sub- sections but
make sure that they do not read like different pieces independent of each other. They should be
related to each other and should form parts of your report.
 All your arguments should be neatly tied and logically culminated at the end of each section and again
in your conclusion. At the same time the interconnections between different sections should be clearly
maintained.
 You should write in your own language using simple words and short sentences as far as possible. A
report written in a language not easily comprehensible often distracts the reader from the contents of
the report. Treat your language a potent medium to communicate your ideas. The Project will be
assessed on the strength of your methodology and ideas.
While you should not copy from other books, articles, website etc. citations are a legitimate exercise.
Please observe the following instructions:
 The quotation should be relevant and the language should be that of the author.
 At the end of the quote, you should mention within the brackets, the name of the author and the title of
the book along with the year and place of publication and the page numbers.
 In case you have quoted from a newspaper/magazine/journal, give the name of the magazine/journal,
the number of the issue and the month/year of its publication.
 In case you have quoted from a website, give the website address.
 Avoid lengthy quotes. Brief quotes often beautifully stress the point and blend easily into your text. A
quote roughly of the size of about 50 to 100 words is quite reasonable.
Here is an example of a quote:
“Who are the travelers and the tourists? Webster’s New Collegiate Dictionary defines a tourist as one who
makes the tour for pleasure or culture. A nineteenth century dictionary had a more interesting definition:
people who travel for the pleasure of travelling, out of curiosity, and they have nothing better to do and
even, for the joy of boasting about it afterwards.’’ (Donald E Lundberg, The Tourist Business, Sixth
edition, New York, 1990, p.1).

1.4.5 Submission of Project Report

Prepare two copies and send one to us on the following address:
Don’t buy project
Dispatch Section, SED reports from
Block 12, market. All such
Indira Gandhi National Open University, project reports will
Maidan Garhi, New Delhi -110 068 be rejected.
Ph. No. : 29535924-32 Extn. : 2216

Do keep a copy of your Project Report with yourself as we shall not send it back to you.
Make sure your Project Report also has the declaration, given in Annexure C, duly
signed by you and your supervisor.

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1.5 EVALUATION
Upon its submission, your report will be sent to an examiner. You must secure a minimum of 40% in your
Project Work in order to successfully complete your course.
Remember:
 Project Work should be original and in your own language;
 You should not copy or reproduce anyone else’s published or unpublished project or else it would be
cancelled;
 Arguments should be substantiated by your data;
 Information should be properly documented;
 The research methodology adopted by you should be stated at the beginning of your work.
 Give a bibliography at the end. It should include all your sources like records, documents, reports,
interviews, group meetings, newspapers, magazines etc. listed under separate heads.

Ensure that the quality of the Project Report is good. In case you secure less than 40%
marks, you will have to do it all over again. In that case, you will have to send a Demand
Draft of Rs. 600/- drawn in favor of IGNOU, payable at New Delhi, along with your
Project Report to Dispatch Section, SED, Block 12, IGNOU. (Please verify the fee
applicable at the time of submission).

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 PART 2: PROJECT SUGGESTIONS
Here we have provided you with a list containing broad themes from which you can choose your Project.
Remember, these are not topics to be chosen. These are themes which can be applied to specific studies
of areas, institutions or contexts. What you have to do is to pick any of the themes or any aspect of a theme
given here and convert that into a topic according to your research inclination, priority and feasibility of
study. You are free to select a theme from outside this list and make a topic on it provided your
supervisor approves it.

The topic should be focused and not general. For example ‘‘Marketing Tourism of India’’. ‘‘Fair and
Festivals of India’’ or ‘‘Environment and Tourism’’ are general topic, hence these should not be taken.
Instead if you take up

i) Marketing of Kerala by Tourism Department of Kerala;

ii) Pushakar Fair and its importance in Tourism Field;

iii) Impact of Tourism Development on Delhi’s environment etc. would be a suitable topic.

2.1 PTS-1 Project on Indian Culture, Environment and Tourism

1) The cults or groups in a region or locality with respect to their rituals, socio-religious practices and
customs. The study can also focus on specific rituals and customs practiced among several groups or
cults. Fairs, connected with local traditions, religion and/or social festivals. It can be a study of the
economic transactions taking place in the fair.

2) Fine arts of a region especially various dance forms, music (both vocal and instrumental) and traditions
of painting. The project may contain the documentary details pertaining to the practice of the fine arts
as also the development and dispersal of these fine arts. You may also study the individual artists who
have contributed at national or state level to the development of these art forms.

3) Regional forms of theatre including the folk forms. Study of the cinema in a region can also be
undertaken. A comparative study of theatre or cinema can also be undertaken.

4) Architectural styles, their origin, development and present form. Study of individual monuments, their
history, tourist flow, the state of conservation and management can also be of importance. Comparative
study of styles and individual monuments can also be made.

5) Sculpture in a region. Comparative study of various styles and forms. Development of a particular
style or form over a period of time can also be undertaken.

6) Archaeological sites in a region and their relationship with other sites. A comparative study of sites in
a region, the tourist flow at these sites and ancillary attractions of any can also be studied.

7) Museum in your region/locality. The collection of artifacts in the museum and, their upkeep, interest of
local population and tourists in the museum are visible areas. Study of specific category of artifacts in
the museum etc. can also be undertaken.

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8) Crafts and craftsmen specific to a region. The problem of authenticity in craft forms and their commercial
potential as also the importance of a craft in the overall commercial production of the region.
9) Textiles -production of the small sector, the materials, designs etc. Development over a period of
time. Special costume in a region, the development of regional styles over a period of time. Specialist
craftsmen involved in the production and organization of production can be studied.
10) Tribal cultures in your region. Their social, economic or religious institutions or practices may be
studied. Comparative study of tribes in the above areas. Interaction between urban and tribal cultures.
Policies regarding tribes (Government or non-Government) and its impact on tribes.
11) Government policies on culture -a critical study of these policies. The policies and their effect on
tourism etc.
12) Local environment -description of the specific features.
13) State of conservation -local environment
14) Possibilities of developing tourism in your locality/region without harming the environment -
various models.
15) Developmental activities in your locality and region and their impact on the environment.
16) The infrastructural facilities needed for an access to the environmental resources of your locality/
region.
17) Listing and classifying the environmental resources of your locality/region.
18) Surveying the community’s perception of its environmental resources.
19) Surveying the visitor behavior with regard to local/regional environment.
20) Surveying the environmental protection measures adopted by the Hotels in your town.
21) An inventory of the local/regional flora and fauna.
22) Potential for the growth of tourism with specific reference to local/regional flora and fauna.
23) Study of the physical hydrology of your region/locality.
24) Awareness of Environmental Issues in your locality
25) Possibilities of interpreting the landscape of your locality and the tourist.
26) Rules and regulations regarding protection of environment in your locality.

NOTE:
Project should be based on fieldwork/attachment with industry or a case study.
It should not be copied from Internet / Websites or bought from market. Such projects would be
rejected.

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2.2 PTS-2 Project on Tourism Marketing
Marketing is a vast subject and in tourism it has a special relevance. For your Project, you can pick up any
of the following themes:
1) Segmentation of tourist market and market analysis (domestic/international)
2) Consumer research i.e. profiling tourists (domestic or international tourists)
3) Promotion (promotion planning or analyzing promotion campaigns carried out by destinations, tourism
departments, tour operators, travel agencies etc.; organizing promotional events: comparative analysis
of promotion strategies; tourism fairs, travel marts. etc.)
4) Advertising, publicity and use of media for marketing.
5) Comparative analysis of pricing strategies.
6) Issues related to seasonal marketing
7) Familiarization tours
8) Marketing of any product or services like destinations, events, shopping, airlines, accommo- dation,
tourist transport, travel agency, tour operators etc.
9) Linkages among various constituents of tourism industry
10) Role of technology in tourism marketing
11) Distribution Strategies
12) Socially responsible marketing

You must retain the Project Guide till

you have completed the entire
Programme

In case of any additional academic query you may write to:

Programme Coordinator, BTS/BAVTM
School of Tourism and Hospitality Services Management
Indira Gandhi National Open University,
Maidan Garhi,
New Delhi -110 068.

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PART 3: ANNEXURES

ANNEXUREA
PROJECT PROPOSAL
PROFORMA
Candidate’s Information (to be filled by the candidate) Date ___________________
Name ___________________________________________
Programme Code __________________________________ Course Code PTS
(Give No.1 OR 2)
Enrolment No.
Address _________________________________________
_________________________________________
Regional Centre ___________
Study Centre Name _____________________________
Code

Title of the Project __________________________________

(Enclose the proposal/synopsis of the Project)

LETTER/CERTIFICATE OF APPROVAL
(By the Supervisor)
I hereby certify that the proposal for the Project entitled (Name of the Project) ___________________
__________________________ By (Name of the candidate) ________________________________
has been prepared after due consultation with me. The proposal has my approval and has, to my knowledge,
the potential of developing into a comprehensive Project Work. I also agree to supervise the above mentioned
Project till its completion.
(Signature of the Supervisor)
Mail one copy of Project
Proposal Proforma to: Name: _________________________________________
Programme Coordinator
(BTS/BAVTM) Designation ______________________________________
SOTHSM
IGNOU, Maidan Garhi, Address ________________________________________
New Delhi-110068
_______________________________________________

15
ANNEXURE B: First Page of the Project Report
Programme Code __________________________________

Course Code _____________________________________

Enrolment No.

Study Centre Code

Regional Centre ___________________________________

TOPIC OF THE REPORT

Project Report submitted to the Indira Gandhi National Open University in partial fulfillment of the
requirements for the award of the Bachelors Degree in Tourism Studies. I hereby declare that this is my
original work and has not been submitted elsewhere.
Signature of the Candidate ________________________
Name of the Candidate ________________________
Institutional Address, if any ________________________
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
Year ____________________________________________

ANNEXURE C
CERTIFICATE
Certified that the Project Report entitled (Topic of the Project) ____________________________
submitted by (Name of the candidate) ____________________________________________
is his/her own work and has been done under my supervision.
It is recommended that this Project be placed before the examiner for evaluation.
(Signature of the supervisor)
Name: ___________________________________
Address: _________________________________
Study Centre: _____________________________
Regional Centre: __________________________
Date: ___________________________________

Prepare two copies and send one to us on the following address:

Dispatch Section, SED
Block 12, Indira Gandhi National Open University, Maidan Garhi,
New Delhi -110 068
Ph. No. : 29535924-32 Extn. : 2216

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