IGNOU BTS TS-02 Free Solved Assignment 2012

TS-2: TOURISM Development: Products, Operations and case studies

(TUTOR MARKED ASSIGNMENT)

Course Code: TS-2 Programme: BTS

Total Marks: 100 Assignment Code: TS-2/TMA/2012-13

Note: This TMA consists of two parts.

Part I consists of two questions out of which you have to attempt any one. The question carries 25 marks and should be answered in about 700 words.

Part II consists of 8 questions. Attempt any five in about 500 words. Each question carries 15 marks. Send your TMA to the Coordinator of your Study Centre.

PART-I

Q1.Discuss some of the zonal cultural centres set up by the Indian Government. Describe their contribution to develop traditional forms of house decorating Folk Art.

Solution : As mention above Answer any 1

Q1. Examining the tourist traffic trends from Europe, discuss some of the major characteristics of the European tourist market.

Solution: Tourism in Europe is undergoing continuous development and transformation. It is estimated that by 2020 the world’s international tourist traffic will exceed 1.5 billion participants . This prediction has been made on the basis of the observed trends, of the increased popularity of overseas holiday travel, especially in highly developed countries. These correspond to the processes which have led to an increase in the freedom for personal movement, especially in Europe, by opening the borders between European Union countries, as well as with the increase in wealth of the population of particular countries. The increase in social mobility is also facilitated by technological developments such as the extension of motorways and improvements of the technical state of roads and building new communication connections like the Channel Tunnel connecting England and France. The further development of the means of transport and the relative lowering of the costs of travel, for example the development of cheap ‘no-frills’ airlines are also very significant. The increase in the percentage of the third age population also plays an important role in this matter. The most important trends in European tourism which could be seen in the future are as follows:

Trends in the destination of travel

The number of intercontinental journeys to and from Europe is growing more rapidly than the intra-Europe tourist traffic.

The number of journeys between the countries of Europe is growing faster than tourism within the home country.

The increasing demand for travel to new and exotic places is balanced by repeat travel to regions where tourists have enjoyed a positive experience.

The number of holiday journeys during which tourists visit several countries is increasing.

Smaller countries are enjoying growing interest due to the greater need for direct contact with the natural environment

The interest in winter holidays spent in the sunshine, cultural tourism and travel by sea are developing faster than traditional travel connected with participation in winter sports.

Activity holidays are becoming as popular in winter as in summer.

Pensioners and elderly people travel most often outside the main seasons.

Europe is the motherland of modern tourism and the main and touristically developed part of the world. It still dominates in the number of incoming and outgoing tourists. In 2004 the WTO estimated the number of tourists as 760 million people of whom over 414 million travelled in European countries. 326 million international tourists, that is about 82% of the incoming visitors to Europe, or about 46% of the world market of international tourism, were seen in the EU countries. The income from international tourism amounted to 215 billion USD which is 85% of Europe’s income and over 45% of the world’s tourism market

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PART-II

Q1.What is the significance of profiling tourists?

Solution: The sustained growth of any business/service, including tourism, invariably involves product development according to market needs. A primary requirement in this regard is to understand the distinctive features of consumers and their preferences. It is also important in the context of tourism to establish effective communication with potential visitors for attracting them to the destination. The achievement of the same, however, involves the identification of specific segments of such visitors, their preferences and needs, effective communication means to reach them and to know the geographical areas of their concentration. The statistical analysis of these factors in relation to any destination i s known a s profiling o f tourists. Tourists profile also facilitates improvements in:

Planning and deciding on development priorities, marketing strategies of tourism products, and

services. Today, the profiling is also helpful for understanding guest-host relationships apd

tourism impacts. Regular visitor surveys are always necessary to obtain tourist profiles. Periodical surveys are also conducted with specific objectives. For example, the 1988-89 survey international tourists in India was conducted keeping in view the following objectives:

i) To assess socio-economic and demographic particulars of interactional tourist

ii) To identify the factors influencing their choice of India as a place to visit.

iii) To estimate the expenditure pattern of international tourists on various items ':ke

accommodation, food and drinks, entertainment, shopping and internal travel.

iv)To identify the b c e s visited by them and duration of stay and accommodation used 1

at each place.

v) To assess preference for type< of accommodation, tariff rates, various facilities and

services.

vi) To assess the levels of satisfaction of tourists in respect of various factors associated

with tourism.

vii) To work-out a weighting hagram for construction of a consumer price index for

international tourists.

viii)To assess the demographic particulars of the transit tourists and identify the reasons for their not visiting India.

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Q2.Give the historical account of the construction of Taj Mahal. 15

Solution : In 1631, Shah Jahan, emperor during the Mughal empire's period of greatest prosperity, was grief-stricken when his third wife, Mumtaz Mahal, died during the birth of their 14th child, Gauhara Begum. Construction of the Taj Mahal began in 1632. The court chronicles of Shah Jahan's grief illustrate the love story traditionally held as an inspiration for Taj Maha. The tomb is the central focus of the entire complex of the Taj Mahal. This large, white marble structure stands on a square plinth and consists of a symmetrical building with an iwan (an arch-shaped doorway) topped by a large dome and finial. Like most Mughal tombs, the basic elements are Persian in origin. The exterior decorations of the Taj Mahal are among the finest in Mughal architecture. As the surface area changes the decorations are refined proportionally. The decorative elements were created by applying paint, stucco, stone inlays, or carvings. In line with the Islamic prohibition against the use of anthropomorphic forms, the decorative elements can be grouped into either calligraphy, abstract forms or vegetative motifs.

The interior chamber of the Taj Mahal steps far beyond traditional decorative elements. Here, the inlay work is not pietra dura, but a lapidary of precious and semiprecious gemstones.

The inner chamber is an octagon with the design allowing for entry from each face, although only the door facing the garden to the south is used. The complex is set around a large 300-metre (980 ft) square charbagh or Mughal garden. The garden uses raised pathways that divide each of the four quarters of the garden into 16 sunken parterres or flowerbeds. A raised marble water tank at the center of the garden, halfway between the tomb and gateway with a reflecting pool on a north-south axis, reflects the image of the mausoleum. The raised marble water tank is called al Hawd al-Kawthar, in reference to the "Tank of Abundance" promised to Muhammad. Elsewhere, the garden is laid out with avenues of trees and fountains. The charbagh garden, a design inspired by Persian gardens, was introduced to India by the first Mughal emperor, Babur. The Taj Mahal was constructed using materials from all over India and Asia and over 1,000 elephants were used to transport building materials. The translucent white marble was brought from Makrana, Rajasthan, the jasper from Punjab, jade and crystal from China. The turquoise was from Tibet and the Lapis lazuli from Afghanistan, while the sapphire came from Sri Lanka and the carnelian from Arabia. In all, twenty eight types of precious and semi-precious stones were inlaid into the white marble.

The construction of the Taj Mahal was entrusted to a board of architects under imperial supervision, including Abd ul-Karim Ma'mur Khan, Makramat Khan, and Ustad Ahmad Lahauri. Lahauri is generally considered to be the principal designer.Artist's impression of the Taj Mahal, from the Smithsonian Institution. A labour force of twenty thousand workers was recruited across northern India. Sculptors from Bukhara, calligraphers from Syria and Persia, inlayers from southern India, stonecutters from Baluchistan, a specialist in building turrets, another who carved only marble flowers were part of the thirty-seven men who formed the creative unit.

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Q3.Discuss how Khajuraho festival has been organized to create a secondary tourist attraction. 15

Solution: As mention above Answer any 5

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Q4.Discuss the importance of adventure and sports in tourism.

Solution: As mention above Answer any 5

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Q5.Discuss some of the major problems faced by tourism professionals in promoting wild life tourism in India. Also suggest ways to overcome these problems. 15

Solution: As mention above Answer any 5

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Q6Describe ethnic tourism with examples. 15

Solution : Ethnic tourism is related to the more popularly known nature or eco-tourism. In nature tourism, people visit a region, usually in a third world country, in order to enjoy its natural beauty (Boo 1990, Whelan 1991). Nature tourism can also imply social awareness because it "creates an understanding of cultural and natural history, while safeguarding the integrity of the ecosystem and producing economic benefits that encourage conservation. Ethnic tourism is the addition of an indigenous or traditional group of people who live in this environment and interact and depend upon it. Visitors enjoy both the natural environment and the singular ethnic experience. Because of the ethnic groups' dependence on the environment, it is difficult to separate ethnic tourism from the landscape in which it occurs. Hence, nature and ethnic tourism are often interrelated and inseparable. From the visitor's point of view, ethnic tourism is "travel motivated by the search for the firsthand, authentic and sometimes intimate contact with people whose ethnic and/or cultural background is different from the tourists. Ethnic tourists are also driven by the desire to see some of the "threatened" cultures which may soon disappear through assimilation into the nation's majority (Johnston 1990). The visitor's experience usually includes opportunities to see and photograph people in their traditional dress, observe their living conditions, and purchase local handicrafts .

Ethnic and nature tourism can help protect indigenous people and their environments by providing a sustainable alternative to subsistence agriculture and extractive activities such as timber harvesting. The added income and exposure can satisfy national goals of development while contributing to cultural pride and autonomy. Ethnic tourism can also have many negative consequences including commoditization of culture, social tension, and loss of cultural identity . In any case, tourism brings changes as groups gain or lose ownership, access, and use rights, and adjust to a new economic system. The varying controllers of tourism play a major role in the changes and effects wrought by tourism on the resident population

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Q7Critically examine the Heritage Hotel Scheme developed by the Rajasthan Government. 15

Solution : It was Rajasthan who took the lead in creating a business venture of heritage by converting their ancestral homes into hotels. The Tourism Unit Policy 2007 gives concessions to heritage hotels. Heritage properties which are being converted to heritage hotels with a minimum of 10 rooms have been exempted from 100 per cent conversion charges. Similarly converting heritage hotels would also get 75 per cent concession on stamp duty, provided the property is more than 100 years old. Hotels will also be getting 50 per cent remission in luxury tax during the off-season. it was Rajasthan which took the lead, but now steadily other states too are now opening up to the prospect of hotel projects for existing palaces, forts, etc.

In many cases it is private companies who have taken up projects like that of Kamat Hotels (India) with Fort Jadhavgadh in Maharashtra and Neemrana Hotel's various ventures. The states are now also incentivising creation heritage hotels. Narendra Modi, chief minister, Gujarat looks forward to give Rajasthan competition with numerous heritage hotels in the state. Recently some of the owners, particularly in Rajasthan have taken the initiative to convert their own properties into hotels. They have not 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 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 conventionalhotels and these properties do not fit the norm. This includes criteria such as: size of the rooms, e the toilet, carpeting and various other facilities. 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, havelies, 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 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 were finalised by the Department of Tourism 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 residence

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Q8.Write short notes on any three of the following. (5+5+5)=15

Sociology of tourism.

Solution: As mention above Answer any 3

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Q Palace on wheels

Solution: The Palace on Wheels is a luxury tourist train. It was launched by the Indian Railways to promote tourism in Rajasthan, and has been highly popular since its launch.

Following its success, other luxury and tourist trains have been started on other routes in the country. The train service was refurbished and relaunched in August 2009 with a new decor, itinerary and cuisine, The Palace on Wheels was started on January 26, India's Republic Day, in 1982.

The concept of the Palace on Wheels was derived from the royal background of the coaches, which were originally meant to be the personal railway coaches of the erstwhile rulers of the princely states of Rajputana, Gujarat, the Nizam of Hyderabad and the Viceroy of British India.

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Highway Services

Solution : At Highway Services Ltd we have over 30 years experience in the tarmac surfacing industry. Our crews use the most modern methods and machinery available to produce a high quality durable tarmac finish for all their projects.

Highway Services Ltd are happy to quote for all your types of re-surfacing work and are available for projects all across the UK. No matter what size your project we can help, Highway Services Ltd have the right equipment for the job. “From mile long drives and house forecourts to tennis courts, Highway Services Ltd will produce a surface you will admire for many years to come, ” says Managing Director Matthew Stevenson.

For long stretches of road construction or tarmac re-surfacing, Highways Services use only professional equipment designed for the purpose. All our surfacing machines produce an exceptionally high quality finish to MOT standards.

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PATA

Solution: As mention above Answer any 5

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Q. The Hermit City: Ladakh

Solution : Ladakh in the 1st century AD was a part of the Kushan empire, and in the 10th century a member of the Tibetan royal family established a kingdom here.The influence of Buddhism grew, until the 13th century when Kashmir and central Asia came under the influence of Islam. It remained independent under many Ladakhi rulers until 1846 when it was annexed and became a part of Jammu and Kashmir.Interestingly, it has never been under the British rule like the rest of India has!Today it is one of the provinces of the state of Jammu and Kashmir in India.

It is a high altitude desert – a cold desert – and lies on the edge of the Tibetan plateau or Changthang, nestled between the Karakoram mountain range and the Zanskaar range.Trade routes in the medieval times connecting Central Asia to south -west Asia passed through Ladakh. Ladakh shares boundaries with Pakistan, China and Tibet.Settlements are seen along the valleys created by the two main rivers : Indus and Zanskaar.

Three basic ethnic groups live in Ladakh – the Dards – the Aryans, the Chang-Pas or the nomads and the Mons – the Indo-Iranians. These are further subdivided based on religion and where they eventually settled.Culturally each group is distinct from the next, but together as Ladakhis they are similar to each other and completely different psycographically from the Kashmiri. This difference is an important one and will be discussed later.