Vol 3 Issue 2 Nov 2013 Impact Factor : 1.6772 (UIF) ISSN No : 2249-894X ORIGINAL ARTICLE Monthly Multidisciplinary Research Journal Review Of Research Journal Chief Editors Ashok Yakkaldevi Flávio de São Pedro Filho A R Burla College, India Federal University of Rondonia, Brazil Ecaterina Patrascu Kamani Perera Spiru Haret University, Bucharest Regional Centre For Strategic Studies, Sri Lanka Welcome to Review Of Research RNI MAHMUL/2011/38595 ISSN No.2249-894X Review Of Research Journal is a multidisciplinary research journal, published monthly in English, Hindi & Marathi Language. All research papers submitted to the journal will be double - blind peer reviewed referred by members of the editorial Board readers will include investigator in universities, research institutes government and industry with research interest in the general subjects. Advisory Board Flávio de São Pedro Filho Horia Patrascu Mabel Miao Federal University of Rondonia, Brazil Spiru Haret University, Bucharest, Romania Center for China and Globalization, China Kamani Perera Delia Serbescu Ruth Wolf Regional Centre For Strategic Studies, Sri Spiru Haret University, Bucharest, Romania University Walla, Israel Lanka Xiaohua Yang Jie Hao Ecaterina Patrascu University of San Francisco, San Francisco University of Sydney, Australia Spiru Haret University, Bucharest Karina Xavier Pei-Shan Kao Andrea Fabricio Moraes de AlmeidaFederal Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), University of Essex, United Kingdom University of Rondonia, Brazil USA Loredana Bosca Catalina Neculai May Hongmei Gao Spiru Haret University, Romania University of Coventry, UK Kennesaw State University, USA Anna Maria Constantinovici Marc Fetscherin Ilie Pintea AL. I. Cuza University, Romania Rollins College, USA Spiru Haret University, Romania Romona Mihaila Liu Chen Spiru Haret University, Romania Beijing Foreign Studies University, China Mahdi Moharrampour Nimita Khanna Govind P. Shinde Islamic Azad University buinzahra Director, Isara Institute of Management, New Bharati Vidyapeeth School of Distance Branch, Qazvin, Iran Delhi Education Center, Navi Mumbai Titus Pop Salve R. N. Sonal Singh PhD, Partium Christian University, Department of Sociology, Shivaji University, Vikram University, Ujjain Oradea, Kolhapur Romania Jayashree Patil-Dake P. Malyadri MBA Department of Badruka College J. K. VIJAYAKUMAR Government Degree College, Tandur, A.P. Commerce and Arts Post Graduate Centre King Abdullah University of Science & (BCCAPGC),Kachiguda, Hyderabad Technology,Saudi Arabia. S. D. Sindkhedkar PSGVP Mandal's Arts, Science and Maj. Dr. S. Bakhtiar Choudhary George - Calin SERITAN Commerce College, Shahada [ M.S. ] Director,Hyderabad AP India. Postdoctoral Researcher Faculty of Philosophy and Socio-Political Anurag Misra AR. SARAVANAKUMARALAGAPPA Sciences DBS College, Kanpur UNIVERSITY, KARAIKUDI,TN Al. I. Cuza University, Iasi C. D. Balaji V.MAHALAKSHMI REZA KAFIPOUR Panimalar Engineering College, Chennai Dean, Panimalar Engineering College Shiraz University of Medical Sciences Shiraz, Iran Bhavana vivek patole S.KANNAN PhD, Elphinstone college mumbai-32 Ph.D , Annamalai University Rajendra Shendge Director, B.C.U.D. Solapur University, Awadhesh Kumar Shirotriya Kanwar Dinesh Singh Solapur Secretary, Play India Play (Trust),Meerut Dept.English, Government Postgraduate (U.P.) College , solan More......... Address:-Ashok Yakkaldevi 258/34, Raviwar Peth, Solapur - 413 005 Maharashtra, India Cell : 9595 359 435, Ph No: 02172372010 Email: [email protected] Website: www.isrj.net Review Of Research Vol. 3, Issue. 2, Nov. 2013 ISSN:-2249-894X Available online at www.ror.isrj.net ORIGINAL ARTICLE AN ASSESSMENT OF TOURISM POTENTIAL OF KURUKSHETRA (HARYANA) LAKHVINDER SINGH Research Scholar, Department of Tourism & Hotel Management, Kurukshetra University, Kurukshetra, Abstract: The purpose of this study is to make an assessment of tourism potential of Kurukshetra. For the purpose, the researcher analyses the current position and future prospects of Kurukshetra as tourism destination and highlight the various tourism policies adopted by Government into this concern. The present research is theoretical in nature. For the theatrical foundation and analysis, the existing literature was investigated. The ultimate effects of this paper lead to significant growth of tourism industry in the study area. It is expected that destination stakeholders can enjoy a positive growth of this industry if proper steps can be taken towards the development of tourism. KEY WORDS: Potential, prospects, policy, significant, tourism industry. INTRODUCTION Tourism as a modern term applicable to both international and domestic tourists it is the temporary movement of people to destinations outside their normal work and residence. Such a pleasure-seeking tourist is a traveller moving from place or visiting the same place repeatedly (Hussain, 2013). It is one of the fastest growing and a largest industry at both global as well as domestic perspective is really remarkable. Many nations totally depend upon tourism as a main source of foreign exchange earnings and employment generations. This continued growth in tourism business throughout the world is encouraging and nations are becoming more concern to attract more tourists to their own destinations and trying to promoting this sector as a major source for the economic development of the nation (Hossain, 2006). Tourism industry in India is on a great boom at the instant. India has a great prospective to be a key tourist destination in the world. It's among the fastest growing tourism market. Kurukshetra district of Haryana state of India is very popular among the national and international visitors who primarily visit for religious purpose. It is situated in the state of Haryana, India, 160 km north from Delhi and 91 km south from Chandigarh and known as The land of the Bhagavad-Gita.The city is well connected by rail and road network and lies on the Delhi-Ambala stretch of the National Highway number 1. It is one of those holy towns that have borne the imprint of Lord Krishna's footprints. Belief seized that the great 18-day encounter between the Pandavas and Kauravas in which Lord Krishna played his mysterious part, as illustrated in the pages of the epic Mahabharata, was scraped on the holy land of Kurukshetra. It is said in the Puranas that those who visit this area or reside here even for a while, go straight to heaven after life. Inspite of Mahabharti battle field it also has number of tourist places which attracts tourists from everywhere. Month wise tourist arrival in Kurukshetra is show below: Title: AN ASSESSMENT OF TOURISM POTENTIAL OF KURUKSHETRA (HARYANA) Source: Review of Research [2249-894X] LAKHVINDER SINGH yr:2013 vol:3 iss:2 AN ASSESSMENT OF TOURISM POTENTIAL OF KURUKSHETRA (HARYANA) Exhibit I: Month wise Tourist arrival in Kurukshetra from April-2011 to March-2012 Source: Ministry of Tourism, 2012 The growth of this industry has now raised a warning alarm for the developers and stakeholders, bringing forth concerns and dilemmas of future planning and growth which needs to be emphasized more on research based tourism planning. The insistent advertising campaign “Incredible India” by the tourism ministry of India also changes the image of India worldwide. In order to accomplish the aims and objectives, this campaign piece of work focused on the promotion of destinations throughout the world. Tourism plays an important role in the socio-economic development of any nation. It is also one of the main sources to earn foreign exchange, and created employment opportunities for urban as well as rural public. The present study focus to identify the destination of Kurukshetra as a tourist destination. The significance of tourism is viewed from many angles like economic, social, cultural, political, etc. which has led the ever increasing competition among the destinations and gained the top priority in most of the destinations countries. Marketers need to provide such necessary information to the prospective tourists through different promotional ways and thus, try to stimulate and attract them to the sponsor's destination (Hossain, 2006). In the year of 2003 Ministry of tourism give its recommendation for Haryana Tourism is to develop Haryana in three phases. Phase 1 is to develop destination tourism on NH1. Kurukshetra and Morni Hills projects address this aspect. Kurukshetra to become a destination and a hub. Phase 2 is to develop Rohtak as a getaway destination for Delhi residents Develop Hissar/ Hansi as a mega project on the lines of Kurukshetra. Hissar to become a destination and a hub. Village tourism in Agroha and Phase 3 is to Join the two hubs of Kurukshetra and Hissar through a good quality road Kurukshetra-Thanesar-Pehowa-Kaithal- Jind-Hissar. Develop Sirsa to draw tourists further down the highway. The above facts showed that Kurukshetra is among major tourist destinations of the state. To reap the multiplier benefits of tourism the Government starts various plans and strategies from time to time. Kurukshetra was the best suited place for promotion of cultural, heritage and pilgrimage tourism. So this place was selected to establish it as a major tourist destination of the state. Large number of renovation plans were formulated for development of Kurukshetra like renovation of Jyotisar and Braham Sarovar. These plans started in 1980 and continuedthroughout the nineties. Kurukshetra Development Board renovated these sites (Tomer, 2011). As mentioned above,