AJRBEMVolume1,Issue3(December,2011)ISSN:22497307

A Peer Reviewed International Journal of Asian Research Consortium

AJRBEM:
ASIAN JOURNAL OF RESEARCH IN BUSINESS ECONOMICS AND MANAGEMENT TRANSPORT INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT INSPIRES GROWTH OF TOURISM IN KERALA (WITH SPECIAL REFERRENCE TO KOZHIKODE DISTRICT) D.GEETA
Associate Professor Department of Commerce, Avinashilingam Institute for Home Science and Higher Education for WomenCoimbatore

ABHISHA J
MPhil Scholar, Department of CommerceAvinashilingam Institute for Home Science and Higher Education for WomenCoimbatore . ABSTRACT Tourism plays a major role in the growth of economy. The role of transportation in tour operation is vital. It is largely due to the improvement of transportation that tourism has expanded. Transportation in tourism is most often seen as just part of the tourism system bringing the tourists. Transportation and the advanced vehicles have made travel to all the corners of the world possible, and while making some changes to the market, it had brought tourism to a whole new level. Kerala tourism, which has become a major contributor to the states economy. Kerala has the potential to attract people from all over the world. Kozhikode is a famous district in the north part of the state of Kerala in India. The serene beaches, historical monuments and lush green environment have made Kozhikode emerge as the popular tourist destination in Southern India. The Governments policy is to promote tourism in a big way since Kozhikode has the potential to attract people from all over the world. The city has a reasonably well-developed transport infrastructure. Kozhikode is well connected by road; JournalofAsianResearchConsortium http://www.aijsh.org 406

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rail and air. A research study was conducted during 2010 to understand the importance of tourist places in Kozhikode and to study the development of infrastructure. Primary data was collected from a sample of 80 tourists(foreign and domestic).After analysis of data findings were summarized suggestions were given to develop infrastructure which motivate tourism. The study evaluates the development of tourism infrastructure in Kozhikode district. It will also mention how different types of transportation will help attract more tourists on choosing a certain destination as well as making their travel experience easier, faster, safer and cheaper. Tourism meets the demands of the tourists by improving the transportation facilities and building better transport systems, including high-quality highways, railways and airports as well as the accessibility of support services such as petrol stations, motels and restaurants etc. Tourism Industry in Kozhikode district (Ecotourism) contributes significantly to the economic development of Kerala and the country. INTRODUCTION Transportation is an essential role in the development of the tourism industry. Without it, travelling would be impossible. It is largely due to the improvement of transportation that tourism has expanded. Transportation and the advanced vehicles have made travel to all the corners of the world possible, and while making some changes to the market, it had brought tourism to a whole new level. Tourism has been trying to meets the demands of the tourists by improving the transportation facilities and building better transport systems, including highquality highways, railways and airports which will ease the tourism industry to improve. These factors also help during the decision making process, why do tourists choose different forms of holiday destination and transport. The tourists must consider every aspect before making a decision and the four modes of transport which is road, rail, water and air, play a very important role. Kozhikode is a famous district in the north part of the state of Kerala in India. The serene beaches, historical monuments and lush green environment have made Kozhikode emerge as the popular tourist destination in Southern India. The city has a reasonably well-developed transport infrastructure. Kozhikode is well connected by road, rail and air. TRANSPORTATION IN TOURISM Transportation in tourism is most often seen as just part of the tourism system bringing the tourists to the destinations, a means of getting around the place and leaving it once the duration of the trip is over. Advances in transportation have widely eased travel. It is attributed to the ease and accessibility of modern transport that has spurred the widespread growth of nature tourism. The blame is on poor or lack of visitor management and the level of accessibility of the destination area. Accessibility and tourism activities have broken barriers and opened formerly off-the beaten- track areas to visitors through aggressive marketing of some far-off paradise with the availability of transport. Page and Lumsdon (2004) contend that the transportation system of a tourist destination has an impact on the tourism experience which explains how people travel and why they choose different forms of holiday, destination, and transport. The improvement in JournalofAsianResearchConsortium http://www.aijsh.org 407

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transportation modes plus low fares has increased the accessibility of areas once considered offthe-beaten-path. Access to tourism sites vary according to the nature of the site, the state of infrastructure, and the efficiency of the public transport system. OBJECTIVES 1. To understand the importance of tourist places in Kozhikode district. 2. To study the development of tourism infrasture in Kozhikode district. METHODOLOGY Secondary data was gathered. Primary data was collected from 80 tourists by questionnaire method. TOOLS Tools used are Ranking technique and Percentage. LIMINATION The study is limited to Kozhikode District. Lack of sufficient time and inaccessibility to all the foreign tourists due to administrative restrictions has acted as limiting factors to this study. Table-1 Socioeconomic profile of sample tourists in Kozhikode district Particulars Number Percentage Gender Male 49 61.25 Female 31 38.75 Age Below 20 5 6.25 20-30 26 32.5 30-40 25 31.25 40-50 11 13.75 50-60 7 8.75 Above 60 6 7.5 Income(Monthly) Below 25000 12 30 25001-5000 15 37.5 50001-75000 28 70 Above 75000 25 62.5 Source:-survey data The above table shows that the large number of tourists are men (61.25%).It is found that majority of the tourist are youth and middle age and hail from the age group of 2050(62no.and 68%) .Income wise it is found that 70% tourists have a monthly income between Rs.50001 and 75000 and 62.5 has monthly income above75000.

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Table-2 Sample Tourist by Nationality Nationality Number Percentage Indian 40 50 Britain 16 20 Canada 8 10 Switzerland 4 5 Sweden 4 5 NewZealand 3 3.75 USA 2 2.5 Spain 2 2.5 Austria 1 1.25 Source:-survey data A region-wise analysis indicates that highest rate of foreign tourist come from Britain followed by Canada. Table-3 Rating of Kozhikode as a Tourist Centre Number Percentage Excellent Good Moderate Satisfactory Poor 25 23 20 8 5 62.5 57.5 50 20 12.5

Source:-survey data Regarding the rating of Kozhikode as a tourist centre 62.5% of tourist considered Kozhikode as excellent.12.5% of tourist rated Kozhikode as poor.95% are happy and satisfied for enjoying holiday in Kozhikode ABOUT KOZHIKODE TOURISM Kozhikode is a famous district in the north part of the state of Kerala in India. These surroundings of the place are quite breathtaking with the Arabian Sea in the west and Wayanad hills on east. The serene beaches, historical monuments and lush green environment have made Kozhikode emerge as the popular tourist destination in Southern India. What the place boasts of is beautiful beaches, which are Beypore and Kozhikode. For history lovers, Kozhikode is a home to many historical moments and museums like Krishna Menon, Pazhassirajah. The Kadalundi Bird Sanctuary is yet another treat for nature lovers. This district has all the required ingredients to fascinate a tourist. The climate at this place is tropical and the best time to visit lies from September to May.

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FACTS & FIGURES Location What To See :Northern Kerala :Beaches-Kozhikode, Beypore MuseumsPazhassirajah,Krishna Waterfalls-Thusharagiri stuctures-Jama-at-palli,Tali Temple Kadalundi Bird Sanctury etc. :Kozhikodan Halwa :-The Second Mecca of football lovers -The land of Kalaripayyattu :Tropical :September To May :Sandy coastal belt, the rocky highlands,lateritic midland :Kannur district in North, Wayanad, district in East, Malappuram district in South, Arabian Sea on West.

Must Taste Fame Climate Best Time To Visit Topography Borders

Language Malayali,English, Hindi Table-4 Tourist arrival statistics-2010 in Kozhikode MONTH NUMBER OF FOREIGN TOURISTS 1536 1355 857 810 563 269 567 332 JournalofAsianResearchConsortium http://www.aijsh.org 410 NUMBER OF DOMESTIC TOURISTS 49942 51439 49518 51964 59231 49050 47103 47704

JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG

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SEP OCT NOV DEC TOTAL 2010 TOTAL 2009 VARIANCE%

505 471 874 878 9017 7513 20.02

477105 57398 49826 52036 612316 574896 6.51

Source:-Tourist statistics When compared to the previous months, January and February a decreasing trend of foreign tourist arrivals is seen. There has been a increasing trend when compared to 2009 .kozhikode received 49942 domestic tourist in January and shows an increasing trend compared to 2009.In season period more tourists were there Nov-May. TOURIST DESTINATIONS IN KOZHIKODE Kozhikode which is the main commercial city of Kerala is a district with serene beaches, green countryside, beautiful hills and historical places. The vast coastal areas in Kozhikode have beaches like Beypore beach, Kappad beach, Kozhikode beach which are very calm and beautiful.. The natural attractions in Kozhikode include Thusharagiri waterfalls, Vellarimala, Mananchira lake etc. There is a museum and art gallery called the Pazhassi raja museum and art gallery which was established as a tribute to the ruler Pazhassi raja. There is a bird sanctuary at Kadalundi and a dam at Peruvannamuzhi. The main centers to visit in Kozhikode are given below:Kozhikode Backwaters Kozhikode backwaters are a stretch of waterways in the Kozhikode district. These backwaters are very attractive and fascinating and it intoxicates your senses with the exotic fragrances. The water from Elathur canal, Canolly Canal and Kallai river makes the Kozhikode backwaters. Beypore Beach Beypore beach is in Kozhikode district and is very attractive with turquoise blue color sea. Beypore beach is situated near the Chaliyar River. This beach is a commercial one and mainly ship building is carried out from here. The boatyard here is very famous for its unique ship vessel which is called as Uru. It is constructed by traditional ship manufacturers called as Khalasis and this Uru has great demand in the Middle East. Kappad Beach Kappad beach which is also called as the Kappakadavu beach is in Kozhikode district. It is famous because it was here that the explorer Vasco da Gama has landed, thereby discovering the sea route to India. There is a pillar posted here with an inscription Vasco da Gama landed here, Kappakadavu, in the year 1498 on it. Kozhikode Beach JournalofAsianResearchConsortium http://www.aijsh.org 411

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Kozhikode beach is a beautiful beach which is a favorite of all sunset viewers. There is a lighthouse and 2 piers that extend towards the sea. These piers are around 130 years old. One is the Iron Screw Pile pier that was built in the year 1871. Near to this beach lies the Lions Park and the Marine Water Aquarium. Pazhassiraja Museum and Art Gallery Pazhassiraja Museum is situated in Kozhikode district. Pazhassiraja museum was set up as a tribute to the famous Pazhassiraja Kerala Varma. It was him who had started the Pazhassi revolt against the British East India Company in the 1700s. He was popularly called as the Lion of Kerala. Memories of this great freedom fighter are preserved in a good manner in this museum. Thusharagiri Waterfalls Thusharagiri waterfalls lie in the Western Ghats in Kozhikode district. The word meaning of Thusharagiri is snow covered mountains. The whole area looks like snow capped, hence it is called so. The streams that originate from these Ghats meet to form the Chalippuzha River. From here the river parts into three waterfalls to form the Thusharagiri waterfall. The highest of the three waterfalls called as the Thenpara fall falls from a height of 75 m. Kadalundi Bird Sanctuary Kadalundi bird sanctuary is located in Kozhikode district. It is located on a group of islands where the Kadalundi river flows into the Arabian sea. It covers an area of 3 kms and is bordered on all the sides by huge hills which are about 200 m high. Here there are various species of local as well as migratory birds. Peruvannamuzhi Dam Peruvannamuzhi Dam is located in Kozhikode district and is large enough to satisfy the irrigation needs of the districts Kozhikode, Malappuram and Kannur. It is also used for generating electricity. It is also an ideal place for picnicking. There is an artificial lake where one can take bath. Boating is possible in the reservoir. Speed boat as well as rowboat services are available. Maananchira Mananchira Lake is located in Kozhikode district and has an area of 3.49 acres. It is a main source of drinking water in this place. But it is polluted now due to the dumping of municipal as well as domestic wastes. A park that is adjacent to this lake called as Mananchira Square is a famous picnic spot. Vellarimala Vellarimala is a hilly area in Kozhikode which is not usually crowded by tourists. It is an ideal palce for relaxing and one can enjoy the beauty of this place. A tributary of the Chaliyar River named Kanjirapuzha flows through the rocky areas and forms an attractive waterfall on its way. Dolphins Point Dolphin's Point is the place where it is possible to take a look of the dolphins in the early morning. The beach is lined with trees and is very popular. Thikkoti Lighthouse Thikkoti lighthouse is an important monument in Kozhikode. According to history, this lighthouse was built on the remains of a shipwreck formed by the boat that had crashed near the JournalofAsianResearchConsortium http://www.aijsh.org 412

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rocks. This lighthouse reminds one of these tragic accidents and so the sailors heeds to this lighthouse.

Table-5 Preferences of Kozhikode Tourist Places Number Ranks BackWater Kozhikode backwater 66 3 Beaches Beypore beach 92 1 Kappad beach 96 Kozhikode beach 93 Museum&Art Gallery Pazhassiraja 86 2 WaterFall Thusharagiri 86 2 Bird Sanctuary Kadalundi 26 5 Dams and Lake Peruvannamuzhi 45 4 Mananchira 47 Hills Vellarimala 12 6 Light House Thikkoti 26 5 Source:-survey data Rank analysis shows that Tourist prefer first ,Beaches,Waterfall and museum second Backwaterr third Dams and Lakes fourth Bird Sanctuary fifth and Hills lasthly light house.As per their preferences infrastructure development must be undertaken. Route to Reach Kozhikode (Kerala) By air easily reachable as number of air services offered by Indian Airlines and Jet Air, by connecting Kozhikode with the Gulf countries, and other Indian cities like Mumbai, Coimbatore, Chennai, Kochi, Delhi, Goa, and Tiruchirapalli. Rail network is well laid out in the city and Kozhikode (Kerala) is linked to the entire chief cities of India through rail. The station is approximately 2 km south of Mananchira Square. Kozhikode is well connected with other cities like Bangalore (354 km), Mysore, Mangalore (74 km), Coimbatore, Alappuzha, Madurai, Kochi (224 km), Ooty, Pondichery, Thiruvananthapuram (445 km), and Kottayam by road.

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Calicut-Kozhikode is well linked by Air, Rail and Road network. By plane The Karipur airport is 23 km from Kozhikode town: There are daily flights to Mumbai, Bangalore and the Middle East.Neibouring airports : Kochi International Airport Other airport options are Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum), Chennai, Bangalore, Bombay airports

By train Kozhikode can be reached from other cities like Kochi (Cochin), Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum), Chennai, Mangalore, Bangalore, Bombay, New Delhi, Calcutta by train.

By bus The district has a fairly extensive road network. The National Highway stretches to 77kms, major district roads to 313kms, other district roads to 245kms & village roads to 639kms. The National Highway runs almost parallel to the coastal line linking the headquarters of the 3 taluks, i.e. Kozhikode, Koyilandy & Vadakara. Kozhikode is well connected to other cities Mangalore, Kochi, Thiruvananthapuram, Chennai, Bangalore, Coimbatore by road. By boat The District has an intermediate port at Kozhikode (including Beypore) and a minor port at Vadakara. The coast line of the Kozhikode port extends from Elathur cape to the south bank of Kadalundi river and treads roughly in straight line.There is another minor Port at Badagara. Eventhough the port is opened for traffic; there has been no traffic during the recent years. The Port of Kozhikode, Beypore and Badagara are open for foreign and coastal trade. Economic Developments of Transportation Sector in Kozhikode district Kozhikode tourism, which has become a major contributor to the states economy, deserves the backing of the Government. Tourism has emerged as a more powerful catalyst for economic development than the manufacturing, construction and service industries. The district witnessed an appreciable increase in the arrival of tourists during this period. Kozhikode has tremendous potential for promoting tourism, which will provide employment, increase business and earn foreign exchange for the country. It is in the tourism sector, bread-earners for many. Table-6 Infrastructure Development in Kozhikode(2009-11)

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Road Highways and Subways Airport Runway Seaport

Widened, Fly over constructed Widened Increased Beypore Renewed

Source:-survey data In Kozhikode roads were widen and flyover were constructed.Highways and subways were widen.The length of the runway in Kozhikode airport were increased so that big plans could be landed.Beypore port was renewed so ship passengers can be landed. Poor infrastructure is the major problem faced by the tourism sector in the district. Infrastructure development, destination projects and circuit schemes are the sectors in which the district is looking for aid from the Union Government. Some of the proposals under considerations are introduction of seaplane service, considering the potential of its costal line, luxury train service. The Governments policy is to promote tourism in a big way since Kozhikode has the potential to attract people from all over the world. The number of tourists arriving to Kozhikode is increasing every year but the growth is not as expected. This is mainly due to lack of facilities available to them. The Industrys major concern is lack of infrastructure facilities to meet the existing and future demands in this sector. Marketing and promotional activities alone wont help to attract the tourists into the district. Necessary facilities as well, should be made available to the tourists coming into the district. Travel is an activity, which cant be separated from human beings and hence the problem is to be addressed in a scientific manner keeping in view of the long-term perspective developments of the district. The major components of tourism industry in Kozhikode are identified as restaurant, transportation, houseboat, health, ecotourism and tourist shopping. Good physical connectivity is essential for the promotion of tourism in Kozhikode. FINDINGS The region-wise analysis indicates that highest rate of foreign tourist come from Britain followed by Canada. Majority of the tourists are in the age group of youth of 20-40. About 70% of the tourist has monthly income between Rs50001 and Rs75000 and 62.5% have monthly income above Rs75000. Regarding rating Kozhikode as a tourist center 62.5%of the tourist considers Kozhikode as excellent only 12.5% tourist considers Kozhikode as poor tourist centre Regarding the preference of Kozhikode tourists, preference for Beaches are first, Waterfall and museum second Backwater third ,Dam and Lakes fourth Bird Sanctuary and Light house fifth and Hills come in the last. CONCLUSION Transportation in tourism is most often seen as just part of the tourism system which is in charge of bringing the tourists to the destinations, a means of getting around the place JournalofAsianResearchConsortium http://www.aijsh.org 415

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and leaving it once the duration of the trip is over.. Tourism has been trying to meet the demands of the tourists and that means improving the transportation facilities and building better transport systems, including high-quality highways, railways and airports as well as the accessibility of support services such as petrol stations, motels and restaurants which will ease the tourism industry to improve.. Kozhikode is well connected by road, rail and air Rail network is well laid out in the city and Kozhikode (Kerala) is linked to the entire chief cities of India through rail. There is an urgent requirement for different kinds of tourism transport luxury coaches, airconditioned cars, luxury boats, yachts and speedboats. The city has a reasonably well-developed transport infrastructure. The district witnessed an appreciable increase in the arrival of tourists during this period. The Governments policy is to promote tourism in a big way since Kozhikode has the potential to attract people from all over the world. Tourism Industry in Kozhikode district (Ecotourism) contributes significantly to the economic development of Kerala and the country. REFERENCE A.K Bhattia,Tourism Development- Principles and Practices Bhatia A.K, International Tourism Fundamentals and Practices,sterling publishers Pvt. Ltd, New Delhi,(1997) District hand books of Kerala, Department of Public Relations,Government of Kerala,Trivandrum L. Lumsdon (2004) Tourism and transport: Issues and agenda for the new millennium, Elsevier, Boston. Selvan M. Tourism Industry in Himalayan Publishing House, New Delhi(1989) Travel and Tourism Management-A. Assankutty and C.P. Aboobacker WEBSITE www.Kozhikodetourism.org www.Keralatourism .org

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