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Adventure Tourism: What Drives the Indian Consumer Towards It?

Article Details

Pub. Date	: Jun' 2019
Product Name	: The IUP Journal of Business Strategy
Product Type	: Article
Product Code	: IJBS41906
Author Name	: Sriram Soundararajan and Upasana Singh
Availability	: YES
Subject/Domain	: Management
Download Format	: PDF Format
No. of Pages	: 14

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Abstract

The third largest foreign exchange earner for India is tourism, which accounts for 7.5% of the country’s GDP. The direct contribution of tourism and hospitality to the GDP of India was $98.17 bn in 2018 and is forecasted to be around $194.69 bn in 20271. The George Washington University and The Adventure Travel Trade Association and Zola Consulting survey in FY2013, estimated the global market at $263 bn. This study is important given the growth potential the sector offers to the country’s economic growth. The paper reports the findings from an initial pilot study conducted in India involving a sample of 200 respondents who are actively pursuing adventure sports. The results of the initial pilot study are interesting and show that involvement, attitude and destination image are the primary drivers that propel the target respondents to destination visit intention and word-of-mouth intention. The study has its limitations as it ignores the influence of some variables, such as place attachment and destination attraction, and psychological variables, such as impulse and hedonism. The authors suggests that in future, the study can be expanded to factor in these parameters too. Future research directions and implications for marketers are discussed.

Description

Adventure tourism is defined as a set of activities that normally occur outdoors and appear exciting to the consumer (Buckley, 2007). These activities have elements of risk, exploration and danger (Beedie, 2008). Adventure tourism refers to a travel that is inclusive of at least three elements: physical activity, cultural immersion, and natural environment (Sandler Research, 2016). Adventure is reflected in the adrenaline rush from risk taking and any knowledge or insight that is gained from the activity (Walle, 1997). Therefore, adventurers could be extreme adventurers, who may not seek commercial support to practice an activity, and may look for difficult inaccessible locations. Size of the industry: $263 bn (Adventure Travel Trade Association, 2013). This industry is growing at a CAGR of 46% and would be a promising market by 2020 (Sandler Research, 2016).