Tourists perspective towards tourism in Pondicherry ABSTRACT Keywords: I INTRODUCTION

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Volume 119 No. 7 2018, 2471-2479 ISSN: 1311-8080 (printed version); ISSN: 1314-3395 (on-line version) url: http://www.ijpam.eu ijpam.eu Tourists perspective towards tourism in Pondicherry Dr. R.

1 Volume 119 No , ISSN: (printed version); ISSN: (on-line version) url: ijpam.eu Tourists perspective towards tourism in Pondicherry Dr. R. Renganathan 1, Dr. C. Vijayabanu 2, Dr. V. Srinivasakumar 3, Dr. V. Vijayanand 4, Antone Joseph, JR Faculty Members, School of Management, SASTRA University, Thanjavur II-MBA Student, School of Management, SASTRA University, Thanjavur ABSTRACT Service sector plays an especially vital position towards the overall growth of the nation. For the economic growth of any country, tourism is imperative.the growth of tourism in a place provides employment opportunities to various people. Tour operators, travel agencies, tourism department, tourist guides and the local community are important for the enhancement of tourism. Among the various service sectors, tourism and hospitality industry are playing a very important role towards the growth of India and also as a vital cause of foreign exchange. Puducherry is one of the important tourist destinations in India. This study deals with the tourists opinion about Sri Aurobindo Ashram in Pondicherry, Puducherry. To elicit the responses from the tourists visited Sri Aurobindo Ashram, Pondicherry, data was collected with the structured questionnaire. Statistical methods like percentage analysis, reliability test Factor analysis, and Chi-square tests were used for the study. Findings and suggestions of this study will be useful to the concerned authority of Sri Aurobindo Ashram in Pondicherry to understand the tourists tastes and preferences and also their expectations. Keywords: Tourists, Tourism, Attitude, Aurobindo Ashram, Pondicherry. I INTRODUCTION Tourism is a main social occurrence for a human being to get new experience, adventure, education, and entertainment. Social, religious and business interests are the important motivating factors for tourism. Education is an important aspect to know about various parts of the world. In the contemporary technological environment, people are eager to have a new experience and stronger to acquire knowledge. Development in the various modes of transportation fosters people to venture out to various places. Tourism plays an imperative role in the overall growth of any country. Tourism encompasses various activities and services rendered by tour operators, travel agents, hoteliers, tourists guides and the local community. Development of tourism can be accomplished only with the active cooperation of various stakeholders. Being Tourism in India accounts for and In 2016, 9.6 percent of the GDP was from tourism, the third largest foreign exchange earner for the country, and also the contribution to the GDP of from tourism and hospitality sectors, in India, was US$ billion, as per the news articles of World Travel and Tourism Council s Economic Impact 2017 (IBEF). [1] Figure1. Tourists arrival in India from other countries

2 Source: World travel and tourism council s economic impact 2015, Ministry of tourism(ibef website) On 21st October 1954, as per the Defacto agreement signed between Government of India and Government of France, Pondicherry (Puducherry) was merged with the Indian Union on 1 st November 1954 and consequently, on 16th August 1962, the Dejure Transfer of Puducherry took place. Puducherry includes Pondicherry and Yanam, Mahe respectively in Andhra Pradesh and Kerala. Under the provisions of Government of Union Territories Act, 196, the Union Territory of Puducherry is administered. Pondicherry is one of the most wellliked tourist destinations, in South India, and also capital of the Union territory, Puducherry. Many temples, mosques, churches are situated in Puducherry for different worship and faith. Palm-fringed beaches, resorts, coastal line, backwaters, water sports center, fishing villages, harbor, Aurobindo Ashram, Auroville are various attractions to grab the attention of tourists to visit Puducherry. In the Indian territory of Puducherry, a spiritual community (ashram) called the Sri Aurobindo Ashram is situated. For tourists as well as spiritual seekers, Pondicherry has become an important tourism destination. In the Indian territory of Puducherry, Sri Aurobindo Ashram is a spiritual community (ashram) located in Pondicherry. After Sri Aurobindo retired from politics and settled in Pondicherry in 1910, the ashram developed out of a small community of devotees. Sri Aurobindo Ashram, without any discrimination, is open to all nationality, religion, caste, gender, or age and is a public charitable trust. A large number of people and devotees, both domestic and inbound tourists, visit the Ashram every day OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY To analyze the opinion of tourists visiting Sri Aurobindo ashram in Pondicherry. To find out the purpose of tourists visiting Sri Aurobindo ashram in Pondicherry. To analyze the infrastructural facilities of tourism in the Sri Aurobindo Ashram in Pondicherry To explore the existing difficulties faced by the tourists and to recommend suggestions towards the development of tourism SCOPE OF THE STUDY This study measures the attitude and behavior of tourists visiting Sri Aurobindo Ashram in Puducherry.A survey with the structured questionnaire was conducted in Pondicherry for a period of one month. This study will be useful to the concerned authority of Pondicherry tourism to understand the tastes, preferences, expectation about the various aspects of Aurobindo ashram LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY This study is confined only to Sri Aurobindo Ashram in Pondicherry and it may or may not be applicable to other tourist places. The survey was conducted with the tourists who visited Sri Aurobindo Ashram and not from other tourists places in Puducherry. With the help of remembrance and knowledge of the tourists, responses were elicited for the survey.the opinion expressed by the tourists visited at a particular place may not be applicable always and to other places. II. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 320 tourists visited Sri Aurobindo Ashram in Pondicherry was included in the survey. This study included both Primary and secondary data. A structured questionnaire was used to collect primary data and questionnaire comprises of both close-ended and open-ended questions. Data collected from 30 tourists for the pilot study. Out of data collected from 320 tourists visited, 300 questionnaires completed in all the aspects were finally included for data analysis. With the help of SPSS software, collected data was analyzed. Statistical techniques

3 like Percentage analysis, Chi-square analysis, and Factor analysis were applied for analysis of data. III REVIEW OF LITERATURE A place can be depicted as a travel destination by means of various attributes of travel [2].Tourists generally gather information about a destination from various media or social groups because of the lack of awareness about a destination [3].Precise experience connected particulars of the tourists can be gathered with the help of exit surveys [4]. Satisfaction of the tourists with regard to any of the travel dimension can be because of the demographic factors of the tourists [5].In tourism research, satisfaction on loyalty and the outcome of image destination is considered to be the fashionable topic of research [6]. According to Svetlana et al., (2010), for more than four decades, one of the important areas of tourist has been destination image [7]. Stimulus and personal factors are the important factors which can manipulate the formation of the destination image [8]. According to Quintal et al., (2008), the satisfaction of the tourists can be calculated with the help of the characteristics like perceived value, perceived quality, perceived attractions and perceived risk [9]. Visual aspects of a destination than its name have been much emphasized in tourism research, Mackay et al. (2000)[10]. According to Serkan Bertan etal., (2013), to ensure the progress and growth of tourism industry in a particular region, tourism employees and local people have to be trained to facilitate the tourists to have an excellent occasion at the time of their visit, which paves the way for positive opinion about the destination [11]. According to Horrigan, (2009), other than the media, image perception can be developed due to a mixture of various individual experiences [12]. In order to improve the image of the destination, events can be with the help of events like, for example, winter games play a major function [13]. According to Meliou (2010) et al., tourism in a particular area can be improved based on the tourists perception about the hospitality and travel activities of that area [14]. Travel agencies, tour operators, and brochures are all also very vital for the image creation process, Abd El Jalil, (2010) [15]. According to Athula C. Gnanapala (2014), satisfied tourists will share their good experience with other people, which are considered to be an important topic of customer satisfaction in tourism marketing [16]. Experience of the post-travel and expectations of the pre-travel are the variables used to explain satisfaction, Moutinho (1987) [17]. IV. DATA ANALYSIS & INTERPRETATION The demographic profile of the respondent With regard to age, 59.5% of the male and 40.5% of the female were included in the study. When it comes to the occupation of the respondents, 30.0% of the respondents were employed in private, 27.3% of the respondents were doing business, and 18.2% of the respondents were govt employed. 38.1% of the respondents annual income was in the range from 1.5 to 3 lakhs, 27.3% of the respondents annual income was in the range from 3 to 5 lakhs and 19.1% of the respondent s annual income was below 1.5 lakhs. Purpose of visit Sri Aurobindo Ashram 44.4 % of the tourists visited Sri Aurobindo Ashram for a spiritual purpose, 44.8 % of the tourists visited for the purpose of leisure and 10.8% of the tourists visited for a cultural purpose

4 Reliability Statistics Table 1. Reliability Statistics Cronbach's Alpha No of Items As per the table 1, Cronbach's Alpha value for 25 variables is.735, (Nunnally,1978) [18] which ensures the reliability of the scales used for the data collection Table 2.Overall satisfaction level of the respondents regarding various facilities and the location Level of Satisfaction Frequenc y % Very much dissatisfied Dissatisfied Neutral Satisfied Very much satisfied As per the table 2, it can be inferred that 40% of the tourists were very much satisfied, 37.0 were satisfied, and 11.5 % of the tourists were very dissatisfied with regard to Overall satisfaction level about various facilities and the location Factor analysis Factor analysis is used to lessen the number of variables used for the study. Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin Measure of Sampling Adequacy is given in table 3. Factor analysis can be used for the collected data because the KMO value is.703, which is more than the standard value. Table 3 KMO and Bartlett's Test Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin Measure of Sampling Adequacy. Bartlett's Test of Sphericity E 3 Approx. Chi-Square Df 300 Sig..000 Data are suitable for data analysis, because of Chi-square values for Bartlett s test of Sphericity is 5.556E3and the significant value is which is significant. Also, factor analysis specifies that out of the 25 factors used for the analysis nine factors are extracted with Eigenvalues bigger than 1 signifying a nine-factor solution. Hypothesis testing Chi-square test Null Hypothesis H 0 1. There is no significant association between the educational background of the tourists and their opinion about the purpose of visit. H 0 2. There is no significant association between the educational background of the tourists and their awareness about the Sri Aurobindo Ashram H 0 3. There is no significant association between age of the tourists and their and their opinion about the purpose of visit. H 0 4. There is no significant association between age of the tourists and their awareness about the Sri Aurobindo Ashram H 0 5. There is no significant association between occupation of the tourists and their opinion about the purpose of visit. H 0 6. There is no significant association between occupations of the tourists and awareness about Sri Aurobindo Ashram

5 H 0 7. There is no significant association between the annual income of the tourists and their opinion about the purpose of visit. H 0 8. There is no significant association between annual incomes of the tourists and their awareness about Sri Aurobindo Ashram H 0 9. There is no significant association between nationality of the tourists and their opinion about the purpose of visit. H There is no significant association between nationality of the tourists and their awareness about Sri Aurobindo Ashram Hypothesis testing is given in table 4. As per the table 4, it can be inferred that there is a significant association between the educational background of the tourists and their opinion about the purpose of visit and also exists a significant association between the educational background of the tourists and their awareness about the Sri Aurobindo Ashram. And also there exists a significant association between nationality of the tourists and their opinion about the purpose of visit.if the Asymp. Sig. (2-sided) value is more than.05 we have to accept the null hypothesis and if the Asymp. Sig. (2-sided) value is less than.05 we have to reject the null hypothesis at 5% level of significance. V MAJOR FINDINGS OF THE STUDY It is found that, 40.2% of the tourists from India, 36.3% of the tourists from France, 10.1 of the tourists from Britain, 7.3 from USA and 6.1 from Srilanka, Malaysia and Singapore visited Sri Aurobindo Ashram, Pondicherry during our survey 43.6% of the respondents visited ashram for a spiritual purpose, 42.0% of the respondents visited ashram for leisure and pleasure activities and 14.4% of the tourists visited ashram for cultural activities. It is found that, Cronbach s Alpha value of for the 25 items which ensures the reliability of the scale used for the study Factory analysis could be used for the collected data because of the KMO (Kaiser- Meyer-Olkin) value of ( more than the standard value 0.70) It is found that as per the factor analysis, 9 extracted factors explain 68.6% of the variance. Moreover, 84.0% of the variance in banking facilities like ATM is available inside (nearer to) the ashram is explained by the extracted factors 77.0% of the tourists were satisfied with regard to overall facilities and services at Sri Aurobindo Ashram, Pondicherry VI SUGGESTION AND CONCLUSION Even though tourists are satisfied with the overall facilities available at Sri Aurobindo Ashram, they need to enhance the drinking water facility, toilet facilities, and parking facilities. Concerned authorities are suggested to maintain the existing facilities to satisfy the tourists and also to enhance the tourists arrival without compromising the sanctity and serene of the Ashram. The Tourism industry is important for the economic development of any country. Understanding the requirement of visitors is very important for any tourism destination. Even though Sri Aurobindo Ashram, Pondicherry is not directly involved in promoting the destination, feedback from this kind of survey will definitely make the concerned authority of the ashram to understand the requirements and minds of tourists who visit Sri Aurobindo Ashram, Pondicherry from India and other parts of the world

6 Table 4. Hypothesis testing Chi-square test S No Demographic profile 1 Educational qualification 2 Educational qualification Particulars Pearson Chi-Square Null Asymp. Sig. (2- hypothesis Value df sided) Tourists opinion about purpose a Rejected of visit Awareness about the Sri a Rejected aurobindo ashram 3 Age Opinion about the purpose of visit 4 Age Awareness about Sri Aurobindo ashram 5 Occupation tourists opinion about the purpose of visit 6 Occupation Awareness about Sri Aurobindo ashram a Accepted a Accepted a Accepted a Accepted 7 Annual income 8 Annual income Tourists opinion about purpose of visit Awareness about Sri Aurobindo ashram a Accepted a Accepted 9 Nationality Tourists opinion about purpose of visit 10 Nationality Awareness about Sri Aurobindo ashram a Rejected a Accepted References [1] [2] Heung, V. C. S., & Quf, H. (2000). Hong Kong as a travel destination: An analysis of Japanese tourists satisfaction levels, and the likelihood of them recommending Hong Kong to others, Journal of Travel and Tourism Marketing, 9(1/2), [3] Mok, C. & Armstrong, R. W. (1995). Leisure travel destination choice criteria of Hong Kong residents. Journal of Travel & Tourism Marketing, 4(1), [4] Vaughan, D. R., Farr, H. & Slee, R. W. (2000). Estimating and interpreting the local economic benefits of visitor spending: An explanation. Leisure Studies.,19,

7 [5]Neethiahnanthan Ari Ragavana, Hema Subramonian, Saeed Pahlevan Sharif (2014). Tourists perceptions of destination travel attributes: An application to International tourists to Kuala Lumpur, Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences,144 ( 2014 ) [6]R Rajesh (2013). Impact of Tourist Perceptions, Destination Image and Tourist Satisfaction on Destination Loyalty: A Conceptual Model. PASOS. Revista de Turismo y Patrimonio Cultural. Vol. 11 No 3.. pp [7] Svetlana Stepchenkova & Juline E. Mills(2010). Destination Image: A Meta-Analysis of Research. Journal of Hospitality Marketing & Management, 19(6): [8] Baloglu, S., and K. McCleary (1999). A Model of Destination Image Formation. Annals of Tourism Research, 26: [9] Quintal, Vanessa and Phau, Ian (2008). A Structural Approach Towards Perceptions and Satisfaction of Revisit Intentions, in Spanjaard, D. and Denize, S. and Sharma, N. (ed), Proceedings of Australian and New Zealand Marketing Academy Conference, Dec Olympic Park, Sydney: University of Western Sydney. [10] MacKay, K.J. & Fesenmaier, D.R. (2000). An Exploration of Cross-Cultural Destination Image Assessment. Journal of Travel Research, Vol. 38, pp [11] Serkan Bertan, Volkan Altintaş (2013). Visitors perception of a tourism destination: The case of Pamukkale, Tourismos: an international multidisciplinary Journal of tourism volume 8, number 1, Spring 2013, pp [12] Horrigan, D. (2009). Branded Content: A New Model For Driving Tourism Via Film And Branding Strategies. Tourismos: An International Multidisciplinary Journal of Tourism, Vol. 4, No.3, pp [13] Monge, F. & Brandimarte, P. (2011). Mice Tourism In Piedmont: Economic Perspective And Quantitative Analysis Of Customer Satisfaction. Tourismos: An International Multidisciplinary Journal of Tourism, Vol. 6, No.1, pp [14] Meliou, E. and Maroudas, L. (2010). Understanding Tourism Development: A Representational Approach. Tourismos: An International Multidisciplinary Journal of Tourism, Vol. 5, No.2, pp [15] Abd El Jalil, S.J. (2010). Images of Egypt In United Kingdom Tour Operators Brochures. Tourismos: An International Multidisciplinary Journal of Tourism, Vol. 5, No.2, pp [16] Athula C. Gnanapala (2014). Factors affecting customer satisfaction related to the tourist hotel industry in Sri Lanka. Journal of Tourism and Hospitality Management, July 2014, Vol. 2, No. 7, [17] Moutinho, L. (1987). Consumer behavior in tourism. European Journal of Marketing, 21(10),

8 [18] Nunnally, J. C. (1978). Psychometric theory (2nd Ed.). p. 245, New York: McGraw- Hill. Acknowledgement: Researchers would like to thank Ms. Agalya,S a student of MBA for data collection and other support in this study

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