ISSN (Print): 2279-0020 International Association of Scientific Innovation and Research (IASIR) (An Association Unifying the Sciences, Engineering, and Applied Research) ISSN (Online): 2279-0039
International Journal of Engineering, Business and Enterprise Applications (IJEBEA) (Open Access, Double Blind Peer-reviewed, Refereed and Indexed Journal) www.iasir.net
SWOT Analysis of Mathura Tourism: A Brief Study of Domestic V/s Peregrine Tourist visits in Braj Region
Rashmi Agrawal, Tulika Goyal, Shweta Singh 1,2,3Assistant Professor, Department of Management Studies, BSA Degree College, Mathura, Uttar Pradesh, INDIA 1Research Scholar, Singhania University, Jhunjhunu, Rajasthan 333515, INDIA 2Research Scholar, GLA University, Mathura, Mathura, Uttar Pradesh 281406, INDIA ______Abstract: Tourism today is a leisure activity of the masses. People today peregrinate to international destinations to break the conventional monotony of life. An Uttar Pradesh, a northern state in India, where a minute town infused with such level of divinity and piety does subsist in authenticity–Mathura! A mythic town of the olden days, Mathura is the birthplace of the most lovable, the darling of all Gods, the blue hued God of the Hindu Pantheon - Lord Krishna and aptly forms the heart of BrajBhoomi (Brajbhoomi can be divided into two distinct units - the eastern part in the trans-Yamuna tract with places like Gokul, Mahavan, Baldeo, Mat and Bajna and the western side of the Yamuna covering the Mathura region that encompasses Vrindavan, Govardhan, KusumSarovar, Barsana and Nandgaon). Brajbhoomi is kenned for its affluent culture and allures thousands of pilgrims every year during the illimitable festivities in the region. Every destination has some internal strengths and weaknesses that either enhance its capacity to magnetize peregrine visitors or diminish it. Similarly the external environment can originate various opportunities or threats as well. Consequently an endeavour is made in this research paper to analyse the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of Mathura tourism so that the same can be utilized to increment its popularity among peregrine and domestic visitors. The main focus of this paper is to ascertain the popularity of Mathura region among Peregrine and Domestic Tourists. It is desideratum of the time that regime should identify the potential of Mathura as tourism destination and apperceives the weakness to overcome. To make it leak proof it is very paramount first to identify where the loopholes are. If the threats are not judged now, Mathura would be nowhere on the list of tourists. The paper additionally fixates on the SWOT analysis of Mathura Tourism. Keywords: Tourism, SWOT Analysis, Foreign Tourists, Domestic Tourists, Mathura tourism ______
I. Introduction Tourism: The organisation of holidays and services for tourists.’ – Oxford Dictionary. Tourism revolves around novelty-seeking, and modern technology has made it talismanic for the tourist to seek out white virginity of the Polar Regions, to fly into space, and to discover the exoticism of the ‘other’. Tourism results in expansion of the mind and adventure of the soul; it promotes peace and amity in this strife torn world; it is an exercise in deontology to conserve the resources; an environmental pilgrimage; and can also work for the benefit of the poor and the destitute. Tourism today offers a strange world of experiences that needs to be studied thoroughly. “Tourism is a basic and most desirable human activity deserving the praise and encouragement of all people and all Government.” This statement made at the XXI United Nations General Assembly in 1967, acknowledges the importance of the tourism industry. Tourism's contribution to the world economy is second only to that of oil and is set to better it in another few years. It is therefore a small wonder that many countries in the world are concentrating on the tourism sector to boost up their economies. It was after the Second World War that tourism emerged as an industry pushed along by rapid advancements made in the field of communications and transport. This makes tourism the fastest growing industry worldwide. This "smoke-less" industry acts as a catalyst for socio-economic development and also encourages mutual understanding by bringing into its fold a large variety of activities and individuals which include trades businesses, shopping, lodging, catering, transport arts and crafts, religion etc. The tremendous positive impact created by this widely accepted and flourishing industry has stimulated various nations to channelize their efforts in developing their tourism industry and gear up to meet the ever escalating demand. Uttar Pradesh, the heartland of India, dominates the nation in culture, religion, language and politics. Situated in the vast steamy plain of the Ganges, it boasts of a history that’s very much the history of India, and its temples and monuments – Buddhist, Hindu and Muslim – are among the most impressive in the country. The state, adjoining Delhi has always been close to India’s power centre. Agra, once the Mughal capital is still the biggest
IJEBEA 17-108; © 2017, IJEBEA All Rights Reserved Page 28 Rashmi Agrawal et al., International Journal of Engineering, Business and Enterprise Applications, 19(1), December 2016-February 2017, pp. 28-33 draw among the visitors, both foreign and domestic. Lucknow once a part of the Kingdom of Awadh is the capital city of Uttar Pradesh. Mathura-‘The holy city of UP .Mathura in western UP is frequented by pilgrims from various parts of the world .Mathura has been chosen as one of the heritage cities for HRIDAY - Heritage City Development and Augmentation Yojana scheme of Government of India. The main purpose of this paper is to explore the significance of Mathura- vrindavan tourism and its increasing popularity among the foreign and domestic tourists in India and also various problems or challenges faced by national and international tourist while visiting Mathura-Vrindavan.
II. Objectives of the study: 1. The increasing trend of Mathura tourism in past years across the world. 2. An internal and external factor (swot analysis) that affects the satisfaction level of visitors.
III. Research methodology: Research methodology is partly descriptive, partly exploratory and partly casual. The aim of the paper is to identify the role of SWOT analysis in the formulation of tourism development strategies for destinations. The research material is composed of secondary data amassed from the literature, bibliographic studies and documents. Secondary data is accumulated from the official website of Ministry of tourism, Regime of India, Peregrinate and Tourism Competitiveness Index (TTCI) issued by World Economic Forum and different journals and books. And the major source of secondary data were various websites through which we came to know about sundry experience faced by tourists during their journey (trip advisor, mouth shut etc.)
IV. Limitations of the Research Study: This research study is basically based on secondary data which may not be reliable The proportion of foreign tourists in the analysis was very less.
V. Growth of Mathura –Vrindavan Tourism: Tourism industry is changing rapidly worldwide and its impact also affects India and also some of the most important destinations or states of our country. Matura - vrindavan is one of them. It is now one of the most important tourist destinations of the up state as explained below: ARRIVAL OF FOREIGN TOURIST IN MATHURA- VRINDAVAN REGION FROM THE YEAR 2011 TO 2015
60000 50000 40000 2011 30000 20000 2012 10000 2013 0 2014 2015
The above study reveals that Vrindavan has become most popular place in Braj Region among foreigners in 2015. But the no of foreigner’s visitor’s visiting Mathura remains consistent throughout the years.
ARRIVAL OF DOMESTIC TOURIST IN MATHURA- VRINDAVAN REGION FROM THE YEAR 2011 TO 2015 15000000 10000000 2011 5000000 2012 0 2013 2014 2015
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There is a great hike in the no of visitors visiting vrindavan and goverdhan in 2015 .though the position of Mathura is consistent throughout the years. ARRIVAL OF TOURIST IN MATHURA-VRINDAVAN REGION ACROSS THE WORLD 15000000
10000000 2011
5000000 2012 2013 0 2014 2015
With our study we found that in the past years the trend of visiting the braj region was consistent but in 2015 there is a vast change in the number of tourists .hence the trend of visiting Braj Region is increasing yearly across the world. TOP 15 PLACES IN U.P ACCORDING TO DOMESTIC TOURIST VISITS IN YEAR 2015
ALLAHABAD
AYODHA
VRINDAVAN
TOP 15 PLACES IN U.P ACCORDING TO FOREIGN TOURIST VISITS IN YEAR 2015
ALLAHABAD VRINDAVAN AGRA MATHURA
If we compare Braj Region with other top 15 tourist places in U.P the results shows that Mathura is somewhere lacking in attracting tourist. Although Vrindavan has became a major Tourist destination across the world.
VI. SWOT Analysis of Mathura- Vrindavan Region STRENGTH Mathura city is The Most Auspicious Holy Place, the Birth place of lord Krishna and situated near the bank of Yamuna River. Brijwasi Group (a specialist of sweets) has the distinction of making Mathura Pedas, a unique delicacy which any visitor to the city is unlikely to miss. For the vegetarians, Mathura and Vrindavan provide a wide choice of foods and sweets made of milk. "No visitor forgets to buy the famous Mathura peda," It is the favourite getaway point for people from Haryana, Punjab and Delhi who drive in through the Yamuna Expressway over the weekends or on festivals," The Ghats of the Yamuna river in Mathura and Vrindavan -- where the evening 'aartis' have become a major attraction for the pilgrims, the Mathura museum, the Birla Mandir, dozens of ashrams in Vrindavan, the temple of Bihari-ji, Rangji temple, the renovated BrahmKund, the newly- constructed PremMandir and the ISKCON temple are among those figuring high on the list for tourists.
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Variety of culture i.e. a mix of diverse civilizations and their traditions. A wealth of Archaeological sites, Mathura tourism is known for its heritage and temples. Better infrastructure and a last mile connectivity good roads and approach points (Yamuna expressway) Noida -Mathura-Agra Ethnic and traditional shopping products Niyati Healthcare & Research Pvt. Ltd. is India’s first Multi Super-Specialty healthcare is been opened in Mathura city. Delhi international airport is the closest airport from Mathura at a distance of 147 km .Delhi airport connects with all major cities within country and abroad Tajmahal is the major attraction that encourages foreigners to visit Mathura more often.
WEAKNESS Lack of safety and security of tourists Underdeveloped Public transport system
Overcrowding of popular tourist centres. Lack of sufficient infrastructure. An intolerant attitude among certain sections of the people. No appropriate marketing of Mathura tourism in a foreign country. Poor health, lack of hygiene and proper sanitation among common people especially in the rural parts of the Mathura Traffic in Mathura- vrindavan is the worst that the people have seen anywhere, traffic takes away all pleasure of strolling along the streets. Being a female in India is not easy ,While the media focus on all the rape stories definitely creates an exaggerated and expended image of the dangers as a female travelling in up.
OPPORTUNITIES Mathura has been chosen as one of the heritage city for HRIDAY-HERITAGE CITY DEVLOPMENT AND AUGMENTATION YOJNA scheme of government of India The Mathura Vrindavan Development Authority has taken up many projects for providing facilities to domestic tourists. Mathura parliamentarian Hema Malini wants to exploit the tourism potential of the district for economic development. Hema malini has adopted Radha's birthplace Raval for development. Better road connectivity has helped increase tourist inflow to Gokul, Mahavan, Goverdhan, Barsana and Nandgaon In Goverdhan, a number of hotels have come up while Vrindavan too boasts of quality hotels. The hotel industry in Mathura is upbeat as business has picked up in recent years. Categorization of hotels: Different hotels across the district have been classified as five stars deluxe, five star and three star hotels in collaboration with the government provide high end facilities to the tourist visiting the city. Participation in fairs, exhibitions and travel marts: The state government has taken initiative in participating in different fairs, exhibitions and travel marts, both national and international, to showcase the potential of the tourism sector of the state and draw more Visitors in the future. Paying Guest Schemes: The Government is encouraging people to provide paying guest facilities to tourists so that tourism can be developed and far reached. Bed and Breakfast: The Government is also encouraging families to provide facilities of Bed And Breakfast to tourists to make them feel at home and also maintain a Budget. States deploys ‘tourist police’: Special initiative has been taken by the state government to deploy‘tourist police’ for safety of the visitors. This facility is already implemented in cities like Agra, Varanasi and Lucknow. Tourist Facilitation Centre at Vrindavan and Ropeway facilities at Chitrakoot, Barsana and Mirzapur development .All Circuits have well-planned infrastructure.
THREATS No empathy towards tourist Lack of facilities(guide, good hotels, hygienic food, and water and information board etc) Lack of publicity on good tourist destination among the travellers Lack of publicity of cuisines and culture
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The security situation in Mathura –vrindavan region and crimes against women also act as deterrents.
FINDINGS Our study reveals that Vrindavan has become most popular place in Braj Region among foreigners in 2015. But the no of foreigners visitors visiting Mathura remains consistent throughout the years Govardhan and Vrindavan are the most popular place for domestic tourist. With our study we found that the trend of visiting Braj region is increasing yearly across the world. But if we compare Braj region with other top 15 tourist places of up the result shows that Mathura is somewhere lacking in magnetizing tourist. Though Vrindavan has become a major tourist place across the world. With the help of study we found that majority of countries are not even aware about the importance of Mathura (BRAJ) heritage and culture. Our suggestion to government is to create awareness of places of importance, its history and ecological and cultural sensitivity etc among locals as well as tourists. Some kinds of festivals/activities like food festival, cultural fest, exhibition etc will help in promoting the Mathura tourism. In the latest interview, Arjun Kumar chair person (WTTC INDIA) said that “safety and security is another area of concern which needs improvement along with strengthening of the tourist place. Our study reveals that cyber crime is also a major challenge faced by the tourist. There is a need for industry to make the process of online booking more secure and transparent in create awareness about the same. Today tourism has become more inclusive of new concepts which require the support of the government to develop and flourish. Some of these could be cruise tourism adventure tourism, agri tourism or rural tourism. There is a need to propagate these concepts with dedicated policies formed for their development. Effective implementation of these policies will help in the growth of Mathura tourist and industry as a whole. Our study reveals that there are few states like Kerala, Gujrat, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, which are taking proactive measures in policy formation and implementations. Some of them have also drafted separate policies for specific segments like eco tourism. This has help states immensely to develop tourism infrastructure and increase their tourist arrival. Such initiatives are also required from U.P government to create a uniform development of tourism infrastructure. It is very necessary to promote the Mathura tourism through various media. Our suggestion to government is that U.P tourism can be endorsed by appointing a brand ambassador. It is essential to capitalize on their star value and fan following so that Mathura –Vrindavan tourism can get a boost and we well accepted by tourist. The golden triangle (DELHI-AGRA-JAIPUR) is only circuit in India that is world famous. Efforts must be made to promote BRAJ circuit (AGRA-MATHURA-VRINDAVAN) to showcase the country properly and cater to a greater number of tourist according their interest.
VII. Recent Steps Taken By Government in Promoting Mathura-Vrindavan Tourism 1. The Uttar Pradesh tourism department has approved a major plan to streamline infrastructural projects in the Braj region in the light of the World Bank earmarking Rs 700 crore for promoting pro-poor tourism in the state. 2. The plan has been cleared by a committee of senior officials including Director General, UP Tourism, Amrit Abhijat. 3. Government also declared Rs 70 crore to be spent on widening the roads to Bankey Bihari temple, laying underground cables, covering drains, power supply installations and a heritage walk through the holy town. 4. Another project worth Rs 40 crore for development and beautification of Van Chetna Kendra has been cleared and awaits World Bank approval. 5. The tourism ministry is set to spend over Rs.120 crore ($20 million) on the infrastructural development of the Mathura-Vrindavan pilgrimage circuit, a move that will transform the profile of a land visited by millions round the year. 6. The heritage walk to be developed in Vrindavan will connect all major temples, which pilgrims would be able to visit on foot. 7. The Uttar Pradesh Pro Poor Tourism Development Project has been approved by the screening committee of the Department of Economic Affairs, ministry of finance. The project aims to contribute to improving living conditions and increasing income opportunities for the poor through enhanced tourism development in selected destinations in the Buddhist Circuit, Braj region and Agra.
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8. The UP tourism department, meanwhile, is all set to draft a new tourism policy after 17 years. Final touches are being given to the proposed 13 heritage walks in Agra, Lucknow, Varanasi and Mathura- Vrindavan. 9. The draft policy statement aims at developing an international airport at Agra, though the union tourism and civil aviation ministry has favoured Jevar on the Yamuna Expressway in Bulandshahar district for this project.
VIII. Conclusion This study is considered to be important to be valuable for destination management, development of tourism and development of business opportunities in Braj region in the tourism sector by evaluating the level of satisfaction to the tourists. We concludes that there are many innovative practices adopted by the Government of U.P to make improvement in attracting tourist from other countries of the world, this will not only create more employment opportunities for local residents but also it will develop the state of U.P as more investment opportunities are created for investment in infrastructure for tourism. Tourism growth will also fetch more foreign exchange for the state of U.P.no doubt tourism industry in U.P suffers some social and environmental problem such as poor infrastructure damage to heritage and pilgrimage places, environmental pollution, lack of connectivity etc.though it is true that government of up has make many efforts to increase Mathura vrindavan tourism and trying their best to improve various tourist services to provide good tourist facilities. Throughout the research, only secondary data has been collected. For further research, another study can be conducted to find out the satisfaction level of tourists through SWOT analysis by using primary data as well. U.P government is growing tourism at a slow pace but they are doing it consistently, so they are not very far away.
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