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Impact of Branding on Kerala Tourism
CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION
Christ University Institute Of Management
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INTRODUCTION
The immense potential of the tourism sector to act as a catharsis of economic and social development has been acknowledged in national and international forums. Almost all the states in India have placed tourism on a priority platform, making efforts to exploit the tourism resources and potential offered by the state. Kerala has been significantly successful in its tourism efforts, in creating a key tourism platform for the state and positioning itself competitively in the international tourist market. In 2002, the state was able to augment its tourism earnings to Rs. 705.6 crore as against Rs. 535 crore in 2001, representing an increase of 31.8 per cent. In 2003, it recorded Indias highest growth in international arrivals at 26.8 per cent. Acclaimed as Indias only tourism super brand, Kerala has been able to develop strengths in certain core areas of product development and infrastructure creation. With almost all states in India struggling to establish a brand and seek a positioning in the domestic and international arena, it becomes important to make a case study of Keralas success story and find the reasons that may lie behind this. The Department of Tourism, Ministry of Tourism and Culture has mandated CRISIL Infrastructure Advisory to identify various factors that influence the tourist to visit Kerala as a preferred destination so that important lessons may be learnt and replicated in other states.
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Genesis of the problem Accepting the decline in the manufacturing and agricultural industries in the state (due to a large number of people going in for expatriate employment in the Gulf countries), the Kerala government realized the potential of tourism as a major revenue source. During the early and mid 1990s, Kerala's government concentrated on marketing attractions such as lagoons, lakes, canals, backwaters, boathouses and its 600-km coastline. Tourism is travelling for predominantly recreational or leisure purposes or the provision of services to Support this leisure travel. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people who "travel to and Stay in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes not related to the exercise of an activity remunerated from within the place visited". Globally, Tourism has become a popular global leisure activity. Tourism is subdivided into: 1. Leisure Tourism 2. Pilgrimage 3. Health Tourism 4. Winter Tourism 5. Mass Tourism Kerala lies on the southwest coast of the Indian Peninsula, stretching 360 miles along what is known as the Malabar Coast and has been noted by many as a paradise of tourism. Kerala is a prime high-end tourism destination in the Indian sub-continent and has been rated as one of the fifty destinations to be visited in ones lifetime by the National Geographic Channel (2004). Moderate climate, rich art, colourful festivals, diverse natural and cultural attractions with a physical quality of life comparable to developed nations are causing tourism industry to flourish in Kerala. Compared to the other states in India, Kerala is unique for its interesting geographical diversity it possesses within the smallest area possible. This diversity offers tourists a rage of attractions and experience such a beaches, backwaters, wildlife sanctuaries, evergreen forests and diverse flora and fauna of Kerala, it is often projected as the Green Gateway to India and hence branding is an important role for its success.
Christ University Institute Of Management Page 3

Concepts used
Fig 1.1: Strategic brand management process Source: Marketing management by Philip Kotler Kotler defines brands as A brand is a name, term, sign, symbol, or design or a combination of them, intended to identify the goods and services of one seller or group of sellers and to differentiate them from those of the competitor. Brand Building Process Differentiation Way in which Co. is viewed as unique in the market, what makes you different? Relevance the level to which a brand is personally important to customers. Esteem that characteristic of a product or service that measures how highly customers regard it. Knowledge customer's belief that there is an understanding of what the brand stands for. This drives the purchase decision.

Need of the study States are taking initiatives in teaming with locals to provide a flavour of their culture and traditions. Some of the initiatives are mentioned below: HIMACHAL PRADESH - The Himachal govt has introduced a scheme Himachal Pradesh Home Stay Scheme 2008 under which tourists are given the opportunity see the rural areas. GUJARAT Through the Vibrant Gujarat programme plans to actively market the tourism sector. MP The govt of MP is keen to initiate the development of an artificial beach in the state. The concept is based on Ocean Dome artificial beach in Japan. RAJASTHAN - Rajasthan has a developed tourism infrastructure, with close to 6,000 hotel rooms spread over more than 150 hotels. AP AP has about 18 projects lined up under various categories such as temple circuit development and eco-tourism projects. Backwater is the major attraction of Kerala, however enjoying beaches with power of Ayurvedha is the attraction which distinguishes Kerala tourism from Goa tourism. The main attraction of Goa tourism is 125Km of coastal line is dotted with beaches, rather than beaches Goa temples and Churches are major attractiveness. At the same time Kerala has a coastline of 580Km. The other aspect of Kerala is the eco-tourism initiatives by Kerala state in the year 2007. Kerala is now trying to brand the medical tourism initiative which is very attractive because of efficient medical care in Kerala. Loads of people from Maldives, neighbouring states like Lakshadweep are coming to Kerala for better healthcare. Another major initiative is the branding of traditional art forms like Kathakali, Theyyam etc. This positioning gives more brand identity with the nearest competitor Goa tourism which is one of the USP for Kerala Tourism. Boat race in the backwater of Kerala is another distinguishable product for Kerala Tourism. Another major offering in monsoon is the monsoon tourism.
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Industry overview Global tourism rebounded last year, the United Nations agency tasked with monitoring the tourism sector announced on Monday. As a result of the global financial crisis, tourism around the world steeply declined in 2008 and 2009. But in 2010, there was an increase in tourist arrivals in all regions, according to the U.N. World Tourism Organization (UNWTO). The rise has been the sharpest in Asia and Africa. The recovery in international tourism is good news, especially for those developing countries that rely on the sector for much-needed revenue and jobs, said Secretary-General of UNWTO Taleb Rifai in a statement on Monday. A relatively slow recovery in Europe has been attributed to the disruption of air traffic as a result of the ash cloud created when Icelands Eyjafjallajkull volcano erupted last year. Indian travel and tourism industry bounced back from the effects of global economic slowdown last year and is optimistic of good business growth in 2011. TravelBiz Monitor looks at key developments of 2010 and major trends the industry expects to emerge this year Last year was a recovery period for the Indian travel and tourism industry. The focus clearly was to revive business hit by the economic downturn and restore trust among travelers worldwide that India is a safe destination and has come out of the shadows of the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks. Innovation and reworking business models played key roles in revitalizing business reeling under the effect of global economic slowdown. With corporate travel and inbound traffic hit badly, the huge potential of domestic tourism was explored seriously for the first time by many travel and hospitality players. Companies diversified their portfolios with niche product offerings and tested the water with new avenues of marketing like social media. Taking a snapshot of the year gone by, 2010 was also the time for many firsts for India. A landmark moment in the Indian tourism was when all the travel, tourism and hospitality associations came together for the first time to submit a common pre-budget memorandum. This was followed by the solidarity of the travel trade associations to fight against the zero commission airlines. The Ministry of Tourism, Government of India also decided to bring the industry under one platform by spearheading the idea to form the Confederation of Indian Travel & Tourism Industry (CITTI). 2010 also was the year of major consolidation like Travel Services International being acquired by Yatra.com.

Aviation Market Scenario Passengers can now cancel their non-refundable air tickets until two hours before departure and get a refund of taxes, fuel surcharge, passenger service fee and user development fee. This means a flyer stands to get back Rs 1,300 to Rs 3,800, depending on the distance and the fare. Fuel surcharge varies from Rs 1,000 for a short-haul domestic flight to Rs 3,500 for a long-haul journey. Most Low Cost Carriers charge Rs 229 as passenger service fee and Rs 103 service tax. MICE Market Scenario With the recent market activities which pose a threat to competition in the business travel marketplace, National Business Travel Association (NBTA) believes that policymakers should pay close attention to unreasonable and anticompetitive market activity that threatens to unfairly increase costs on the business travel buyer. Viewed separately, these issues may seem unrelated. But when viewed wholly, they have consequences that could greatly curtail travel buyers ability to manage travel effectively, severely impact the future cost of business travel, and inhibit healthy competition and innovation in the marketplace. NBTA has four primary concerns:
Direct Connects Airline mandated direct connects to bypass the existing global distribution systems will result in a significant increase in capital expenditure that purchasers of business travel will ultimately bear. Companies that rely on information to negotiate for and maintain airline discount programmes will have a difficult time continuing to track activity and enforce travel policy.
Bottom Line: The current system for business travel procurement isnt perfect but it is marked by transparency, access and competition. Any changes to this system must continue to provide business travel purchasers with the information they need to make informed travel investment decisions. NBTA calls on all airlines with an interest in the business travel market to ensure their fares are widely available to buyers through all commonly-used online purchasing channels.
Interchange Fees and Supplier Payments Travel buyers understand the need to pay a reasonable and proportional cost for use of payment cards. However, some suppliers are attempting to reallocate credit card costs they should be responsible for paying
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themselves to intermediaries specifically, travel management firms and travel agencies. This harms all market participants and creates an additional financial burden for business travel buyers. Bottom Line: Suppliers that are passing through credit card fees weigh down business travel buyers with higher costs in exchange for no added value putting unnecessary stress on the recovery of the business travel industry.
Access to Real-Time Airfare Information The proposed Google-ITA transaction should create cause for government regulator concern. This transaction could endanger travel buyer access to consistent, real-time airfare information wherever airline inventory is sold.
Bottom Line: Federal regulators must safeguard consumer welfare by ensuring markets remain competitive if this transaction is to be allowed. Otherwise, business buyers could experience an artificial increase in costs.
Customer Privacy Data privacy is of the utmost concern of business travellers and employers that have worked diligently to protect employees online identities. However the proposed Google-ITA transaction may lead to unforeseen uses of traveller data.
Bottom Line: When considering any future mergers or business practices in travel, government regulators must seriously weigh the potential of search companies access to customer data and the possible use of that information, without customer and employer permission, in the pursuit of profit. Market trends Along with cooperation and consolidation, technology and innovation are viewed as the key trends in the New Year. The industry outlook is optimistic for the year and expects to record good growth. In 2011, consolidation will continue to change the marketplace; whats needed is a healthy dose of competition so that the pie can become bigger i.e. the industry will expand. Consumers will have a plethora of choices as the distinctions between bricks and clicks become increasingly blurred. Another perception gathering momentum is the thought the net is good to look; not necessarily to book; in the sense that people depend on the internet to gain information while planning their itineraries, but dont always depend on it for

bookings. Another change I foresee is that there will be more attempts at disintermediation as airlines and other suppliers seek to go directly to the consumer. Social media will become a mainstay of marketing and only those who are tech savvy to channelize on technology will prosper. Tomorrow is already here. The young kids think they know it all; you have to be able to speak to them in their language if you are to be seen as the expert in your field. Therefore all of us need to seriously upgrade our technology quotient. Thirdly, niche and event oriented tourism will increasingly gain ground. Todays traveller is often well informed and in danger of information overload specialists will need to have genuine in-depth knowledge of destinations, events and new concepts to create a satisfying experience for travellers. The following excerpts are trends expected by different Travel Agents This Year will also witness a steep rise in domestic tourism. Also the increase in number of hotel rooms expected in the country will help position India as a value for money destination. Outbound segment is also expected to grow significantly this year and overall I am expecting 2011 to be a great year for travel trade. Dynamics and business models are undergoing rapid changes and the focus will be on education and upgrading skills of agents to cater to new business requirements. Adapting and harnessing new technology to make operations more efficient and profitable will also be the major thrust this year. On the GDS front, last year several new technology additions were made to the system which helped in optimization of resources. The technology hence facilitated a handy functioning and accessibility of content to the agents reaching the end customer. The industry introduced various innovative tools in the market which helped in a deeper penetration into the content available and increased productivity. In 2011, India will surely maintain and strengthen its positioning as a world tourism destination, thanks to the government and tourism initiatives like Incredible India and other such campaigns. Also, Dynamic packaging by tour and travel agents will be one of the growth drivers for the industry this year. The industry is anticipating an increase in corporate travel for 2011, which would be a welcome boost in customer demand for the hospitality and travel sectors. Travel agents going online will also drive the industry in 2011. E-Commerce will be an important aspect and will pick up pace in the coming year. 2010 also witnessed a start of the new trend of planned spontaneity which is likely to grow further in 2011. mCommerce is going to play a vital role in catalyzing the growth of this new trend. 2011 will see plenty of people planning a spontaneous holiday or weekend getaway.

Primarily, outbound tourism will experience a strong and steady growth, driven by the burgeoning Indian middle class. The World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) estimates a 4.5 per cent per annum increase in the total amount of travel and tourism economic activity between 2002 and 2012. This is largely attributed to a rise in overall global wealth and use of the Internet as a travel tool. Secondly luxury travel will increase drastically this year. Travellers are becoming more experienced and prefer to go on a customised tour. The customised holiday segment showcases changing trends in travel year-on-year, as the economy and consumer attitude towards travelling are changing with time. Rather than regular places, travellers are becoming more innovative of late and prefer offbeat locations. There has been an increase in travellers opting for luxury holidays that are intricately designed and preferences are for destinations that highlight history, art and culture, beach holidays, castles, villas and palace stays; wildlife safari, spa packages, adventure tours, etc. This will be one of the main focus areas for tour operators. The corporate will become more objective and matured in procurement and their travel management approach. Unlike, most matured markets, lot of Indian companies still do not look at their travel service providers as partners but treat them merely as one of the suppliers. Companies feel that by appointing a TMC, they would be able to achieve their travel objectives without working with their travel partners on travel management programme. With different technology tools and products being deployed by TMCs, it is critical to bring awareness and education to individual travellers for effective use of such tools and products. Effective use of such tools would also ensure accurate and timely MI, pre and post trip tracking, safety and security of their travels, besides smooth travel services. More consolidation of corporate travel services with large TMCs is also expected. We will see more automation and use of Online Booking Tools by corporate travelers. Thus reducing dependency on travel consultants especially on point to point travel. Large corporate would also move from implant model to consolidated BTC model ensuring uniformity and standardisation of processes and policies. We will see more corporates moving to Credit Card mode of payment for travel. India is probably the only country in the world with such high invoicing on travel. Due to domestic airlines increasing tariff rates, the domestic market today is not showing high potential. The stiff competition among domestic private airline players is driving away customers. In the future, Low Cost Carriers (LCCs) could come up with tour packages as well. I think the government should allow more private airline players to offer domestic services, which could reduce tariff rates. Since India is the only country

which lacks infrastructure facilities, I expect measures to be undertaken by the government to development better standards of infrastructure facilities. In 2011, the online travel industry will see major growth in purchase of hotel products and for single destination holidays compared to 2010. Single destination holidays will primarily be driven by domestic destinations to begin with. Aggressive outbound growth especially to the South East Asian (SEA) sector and other short haul destinations will be observed this year. This will be triggered by airlines adding new routes and increasing frequencies. Also with the prices being cheaper in the SEA market, binge holidays will become common. In 2011, the market will also see rationalisation of airfares and aggressive pricing in lean season led by significant increase in capacity. India is also observing a rapid increase in the number of holidays families take. While these were earlier restricted to one major vacation per year, there is a cultural shift taking place in the Indian travel consumer landscape with families opting for shorter but more frequent holidays both within and outside the country. Mobile will also be the next rage in the market wherein 3G will play a potent role. Last year, we were the first to offer possibility of booking through iPhones. We will also develop more applications and products for the mobile platform including the launch of a smartphone application in Quarter One of 2011. The online travel industry has observed a significant growth over the last year and international movement is further expected to see an upsurge this year. This increase will be due to more accountability, transparency and safer payment options offered by the online medium. While the domestic air ticket booking online has grown rapidly, point to point air booking will grow further this year. Transactions through the mobile platform via Iphones, Blackberry and Android softwares are also growing steadily and as more customer trust is ensured on this medium, m-commerce will see significant increase. With more people looking at the online medium of payment, we expect awareness about the usage of non-cash instruments to increase drastically as these will become more swiftly used modes of payment for purchasing travel products online. While online bookings in India have been predominantly in the air ticket segment, this market will see further maturity as customers book holiday packages, hotel rooms and attractions on the Internet. Besides this, airfares will further increase than the 2010 level, basic reason to this could be higher number of people opting to travel via air. There has been a continuous year-on-year growth in air travel traffic which will definitely continue this year

and will also lead to higher airfares. Alongside, all the major airline players in the domestic market in India will take further step to enhance connectivity in connecting more Tier two and Tier three cities across the country, as the next phase of growth is expected to be from these cities. As leisure travel is becoming more popular; the volumes are increasing and theres tremendous pressure on the airline and hotel inventory. This is one of the challenges that we face. Another challenge is that India is essentially a late market and people dont book in advance. Having said that the major changes mostly likely to take place are that most tour operators will focus on affordability; value for money. The other trend will be of expansion, especially the network of agents. Focus will also be on sporting events on account of cricket world cup which will be held in India early this year. Consolidation by way of mergers and acquisitions is going to be a dominant trend this year. The small to medium travel agents are finding it very difficult to survive as today you need volume and huge funds to sustain. I would like to see formation of a common platform for the smaller agents so that they can operate in unity and over come the challenge of volume and funds. The airlines are also forming alliances as they have understood that in order to sustain they need to work together and share profit and loss. Technology is going to play a big role in the rapidly evolving travel industry and needs to be used as a tool for future growth. The other important change that is required is the transformation of agents into specialists and consultants. Low Cost Carriers (LCCs) in the coming years will be preferred over legacy carriers. One can see the growth of LCCs in the Indian market and it will take place for both short and long haul travel. Biji Eapen, National President IATA Agents Association of India (IAAI) says that: The travel industry is set to grown exponentially in 2011 and this growth will be sustained provided negative forces are effectively checked. The growing number of airports in the country augurs well on the infrastructure development front and will help connectivity and sustain tourism growth. Even the increasing number of travel packages is a pointer to the growth path. However, a major negative factor that can hamper tourism growth needs to be checked and that is the monopoly trend among major airlines in India, which are akin to a cartel. For convenience sake I will call it the air-cartel. In recent past this air-cartel has violated Aircraft Rules, Trust Laws, Competition Acts and IATA Resolutions arbitrarily. The attempt has been to do away with ordinary travel agents and to retain only a handful few so that commission and remuneration packages can be articulated. The air-cartel intends to stay

above all kinds of price control regulations that are in force now. An unregulated market is their ultimate desire so that that can amass undue revenue. Recently, ticket price of a domestic sector was quoted at almost double the cost of an international sector of same distance all this was done under the name of price variation suiting demand and supply. The passengers are bound to suffer, the travel agents follow suit and eventually the trade itself will suffer. India also bagged 37th rank for its air transport network. The India travel and tourism
industry ranked 5th in the long-term (10-year) growth and is expected to be the second largest employer in the world by 2019. India has been ranked the best country brand for value-formoney in the Country Brand Index (CBI) survey conducted by Future Brand, a leading global brand consultancy. India also claimed the second place in CBIs best country brand for history, as well as appears among the top 5 in the best country brand for authenticity and sart & culture, and the fourth best new country for business. India made it to the list of "rising stars" or the countries that are likely to become major tourist destinations in the next five years, led by the United Arab Emirates, China, and Vietnam
Tourist circuits in India
Fig 1.2: Tourist circuits in India

Fig 1.3: Tourist visit in India Source: CMIE industry database
300 250 200 150 100 50 0 2003 2008E 2013F 2018F International Tourist Spends Domestic To urist Spends
Fig 1.4: Indian tourism market size Source: CMIE industry database

Kerala SWOT analysis Strengths State is well known for smooth law and order11 One of the ten paradise and top 50 places to be visited in lifetime by National geographic traveller11 Innovative branding and positioning Variety of product and services (monsoon tourism, medical tourism, culture and arts, houseboats, backwaters, beaches, wildlife sanctuaries etc) Highly reputable, bagged various national and international awards Kerala, Indias most advanced society with full literacy High life expectancy Excellent quality of life Eco-tourism initiatives
Weaknesses Inadequate infrastructure to match expectation Provisional airline policies by Govt of India Restrictive coastal regulation zone Lack of efficient waste management system Lack of regulatory mechanism for sustainable development Shortage of funds for tourism expansion Exploitation of tourists (overcharging for services)

Opportunities Lot of unused prospective on heritage tourism, medical tourism and pilgrimage tourism Good brand image of Gods own country Accessibility of quality human resource Employability in tourism and related areas
Threats Growth of tourism may lead to pollution problem, ecological hazards etc Over emphasis may lead to recession in the period of downturn Growth of Goa tourism with diverse offerings Problems with natural calamities like Tsunami
So it is seen that Kerala has a lot of potential and also lot of threats as we see that now more and more states are into tourism and are branding themselves well so as to stay competitive and hence help the state earn a lot of revenue and in turn also help in attracting a huge number of tourists and keeping it a hot spot on the world tourist map. Hence a study is being conducted to find out whether these branding initiatives that are taken up by various states do they attract tourist and what are the other benefits that are got for the state through branding themselves.
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Overview of the study The study conducted here mainly deals with five different sections which I have used to carry out the whole dissertation. The study has been done to find out whether the various branding initiatives carried out by Kerala were effective enough to attract a large number of tourists. The study mainly consists of three aspects: 1. In the first part the various methods and strategies that are being used by various states in India were qualitatively analysed and the main factors which states used for branding themselves was taken into account. Here it was looked into the various aspects that states needed to initiate so as to bring about the promotion and branding of the states so as to distinguish itself from the other states and prove to be a competitive advantage over the other states in the country 2. In the second aspect it was studied that how did the tourism rise in the country and the various help in the revenue of the states and country. Here the study was again conducted qualitative to find out how much of the revenue was generated from tourism and how much more is required to maintain the inflow of tourists from all over the world to the particular destination.
3. In the final part of the study a quantitative analysis was done to find out whether the various branding initiatives that was carried out by the states indeed did bring about or maintained a high flow of tourists into the state. For this SPSS was used to formulate the chi square test which was used to find out the dependency factors that led to people respond to the branding initiatives that led to influx of tourists into the respective states here particularly the state of Kerala.
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CHAPTER 2 REVIEW OF LITERATURE
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REVIEW OF LITERATURE
Related literature A useful definition is that a brand is the sum total of all that is known, thought, felt and perceived about your company, service or product. Branding, then, is the process of making products and companies into brands - the consistent and disciplined way a company communicates a brand's essence to the public. Consumers' response to the brand revolves around the brand's image. This makes the concept an essential input into marketing strategy since a positive, strong brand image will presumably lead to choosing a particular brand. Conceptually, we place brand measurement within a brand equity framework based on random utility theory:
Achieving strong brand differentiation is absolutely fundamental to building a compelling brand relationship with customers.
Brand equity can be thought of as the differential effect of brand knowledge on consumer response to the marketing of the brand.
Brand knowledge comprises two components:

o
Brand awareness (brand recognition and brand recall)- knowledge of the brand in memory and the ability to recall it; and
Brand image - consumer perceptions about a brand held in consumers' minds (ideally, favorable, strong, and unique brand associations).
Fundamentally, high levels of brand awareness and a positive brand image should increase the probability of brand choice. That is the fundamental goal of managing one's brand.
The questionnaire design typically used includes questions that measure both of these brand knowledge components:
o o
Awareness measures to evaluate brand recall and recognition; Projective and multivariate statistical techniques to compare a brand's image to competitor brands. The principal analyses typically used are regression, correspondence analysis, and multidimensional scaling.
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Brand equity only exists as a function of consumer choice in the marketplace. And although marketing and communications efforts can create and change brand images, brand equity comes into being when a consumer chooses a product or service. Hence, a brand or a corporation does not possess brand equity, but is attributed equity by the consumer. Brand equity occurs when the consumer is familiar with the brand and holds some favorable, strong, and unique brand associations in memory.
A Framework of Brand Equity Formation
Fig 1.5 Source: Journal of brand management Volume 7 issue 22 Feb. 2009 Role of Brands A brand identifies the seller or maker. A brand protects both the consumer and the producer from competitors who would attempt to provide products that appear to be identical. A brand reduces the primacy of price upon the purchase decision. It accentuates the bases of differentiation. A brand is essentially a sellers promise to consistently deliver a specific set of features, benefits and services to the buyers. A brand gives the seller the opportunity to attract a loyal and profitable set of customers. Brand loyalty gives sellers some protection from competition and greater control in planning their marketing programs. Strong brands help

build the corporate image, making it easier to launch and gain acceptance by distributors and customers. Managing a positive brand image creates opportunities to introduce new products that build on brand equity. It helps to attract and retain good employees and it improves the stockholders perceived value of your company. The Dimensions in Brand: Building Brand identity Brand awareness Familiarity and knowledge of the brand Consideration to evaluate the brand Purchase Brand loyalty (or brand equity) Strategic Brand Management: Strategic brand management involves the design and implementation of marketing programs and activities to build, measure, and manage brand equity. The strategic brand management process is defined as involving four main steps: 1) Identifying and establishing brand positioning and values 2) Planning and implementing brand marketing programs 3) Measuring and interpreting brand performance 4) Growing and sustaining brand equity
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Studies conducted abroad
This paper helped me to understand the complex challenges inherent in the development of tourism destination brand slogans. The study gave me an overview on the complexity involved in capturing the essence of a multi-attributed destination with a succinct and focused brand position, in a way that is both meaningful to the multiplicity of target audiences of interest to stakeholders and effectively differentiates the destination from competitors. The paper summarised six issues that make the application of branding theory to destinations a complex undertaking, and which are worthy of increased research attention.
Title: Tourism destination branding complexity Author(s): Steven Pike, (School of Advertising, Marketing and Public Relations, Faculty
of Business, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia) Citation: Steven Pike, (2005) "Tourism destination branding complexity", Journal of
Product & Brand Management, Vol. 14 Iss: 4, pp.258 - 259
This paper presented some aspects of branding the Scandinavian snow tourism product. It is seen that the Scandinavian suppliers to the non-Nordic market had a stronger image and more distinct differentiation, and that a Scandinavian umbrella brand served the purpose of increasing the combined market share of Scandinavian suppliers in non-Nordic markets. Branding is discussed within the context of a strategic alliance between Scandinavian suppliers. These suppliers are conceptualised as a strategic group. The conceptual and managerial complexity of branding a product associated with three different countries is noted. The paper concludes by indicating areas for future research.
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Title: Scandinavian Winter; Antecedents, concepts and empirical observations underlying a destination umbrella branding model Author(s): Arvid Flagestad, (Norwegian School of Management Bl POB 580 N- 1301
Sandvika, Norway Tel: +47 67 55 72 39 Fax: +47 66 98 19 38 European Tourism Research Institute (ETOUR) SE-831 25 Oestersund, Sweden), Christine A. Hope, (University of Bradford Management Centre Emm Lane, Bradford West Yorkshire, BD9 4JL, UK) Citation: Arvid Flagestad, Christine A. Hope, (2001) "Scandinavian Winter;
Antecedents, concepts and empirical observations underlying a destination umbrella branding model", Tourism Review, Vol. 56 Iss: 1/2, pp.5 12
This paper explored the concept of tourism destination brand identity from the supplyside perspective, in contrast to those studies that have focused on the demand-driven, tourists' perceived tourism destination brand image. This study argued that investigations of tourism destination branding have primarily been conducted from a perceived-image perspective. Therefore, the dearth of studies offering an insight into the supply-side perspective may lead to an unbalanced view, misunderstandings and oversights concerning the possibilities and limitations of tourism destination branding. It gave me an idea of how a place was branded by itself which led to its success story.
Title: Tourism destination brand identity: The case of Slovenia. Authors: Konecnik, Maja1 maja.konecnik@ef.uni-lj.si Go, Frank2 Source: Journal of Brand Management; Jan2008, Vol. 15 Issue 3, p177-189, 13p
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Studies conducted in India
This paper helped me to arrive at a brand architecture model for promoting India as a tourism destination brand, carrying with it a diversity of tourism products and states/regions. Relevant examples from other countries have been drawn upon. Brand architecture concepts are used in the analysis. The paper showed that the Government of India's tourism ministry has been promoting the country as a monolithic brand with the tagline Incredible India over the past seven years. To maintain growth momentum, the paper proposes migration towards a cohesive brand architecture model with a hierarchy of well-connected brands with India as the master brand, which would endorse sub-brands along two principal dimensions tourism product categories and geographic regions/states. India and its numerous constituents can be promoted in a structured manner with greater clarity and focus. The paper also focused on a framework for reorienting India's tourism branding strategy so as to be more cohesive and effective.
Title: Brand architecture in tourism branding: the way forward for India Author(s): Citation: R. Harish, (IBS Bangalore, Bangalore, India) R. Harish, (2010) "Brand architecture in tourism branding: the way forward
for India", Journal of Indian Business Research, Vol. 2 Iss: 3, pp.153 165
This article presented a rationale for promoting brand India as a provider of wellness services. The article also discussed international literature on destination branding and wellness tourism. The success and shortcomings of India's current tourism campaign, and opportunities and challenges that come with branding India as a wellness destination are presented.
Title: Using Wellness Services to Position and Promote Brand India. Authors: Ravichandran, Swathi1Suresh, Satya2 Source: International Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Administration; Apr-Jun2010, Vol. 11 Issue 2, p200-217, 18p

How the review was useful The above reviews have helped to get a clear picture of what is required of me to go ahead with the topic. The reviews have been taken from various databases where various authors have given the details about the studies that they have conducted. The first study allowed me to understand the complexity of what a brand means and how it is to be built and then used. It helped me understand my topic in a much better way by suggesting what an important role brand plays in todays world In the second study it was based on a particular area in the Scandinavian area and about its branding. Here the study helped me to narrow my study to part of the country and find out how the branding is carried out there. The third study was about Slovenia and its branding. This allowed me to narrow down my study further to the single state of Kerala where tourism has become an important industry in its growth and terms of revenue The fourth study taught me about brand architecture. This helped to widen my study and led me to understand what are the criteria that are required for branding of a state and whether the government has set certain guide lines or not The last study was about the wellness of a place. This study gave me an insight to again conduct a study that was done but was done to find out whether remedies and actions were taken against any short comings if present All the above studies helped me to finalize the study and also gave rise to my objectives laid down in the next part of the study.
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CHAPTER 3 RESEARCH & DESIGN
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DESIGN AND METHOD OF STUDY
Statement of the problem How has Kerala branded itself among other states and how has it impacted its tourism.
Objective of the study To identify the basis on which Kerala branded itself. To find out how tourism affects the revenue of the states and country. To find out how far branding initiatives influences individuals in choosing Kerala as a tourist destination.
Research Methodology The nature of research is exploratory as well as diagnostic as the study was aimed at exploring the impact of branding of states among individuals. This study will be based on the questionnaire sent across individuals who have visited Kerala in their recent past. The study was also conducted to find out repetitive factors that the state provided and how well the state has been able to cope up with the improvements that were required. The various data provided by such individuals would be thoroughly studied and interpretations made thereof. Also the first 2 objectives are purely based on secondary data that was available and hence the study was conducted. The sampling technique used is simple random sampling. Firstly, the entire population is segmented into age groups. Then I selected the age group of 20-55. Among that particular age group, I chose individuals who have recently chosen an educational institution.
The sample size taken was 150


Sources of data Primary sources: Primary data was collected through questionnaire circulated among the individuals between the age group of 20-55 who have recently chosen an educational institution. Secondary data: Data was collected through internet and the data available within the various databases provided by the institution.
Statistical analysis using CHI Square test Hypothesis: Ho: Tourist visit to Kerala is independent of the Branding initiatives taken by Kerala H1: Tourist visit to Kerala is dependent on the branding initiatives taken by Kerala
Scope of the study The study is expected to reveal the need for why states & the country brand itself.
Variables The variables affecting the branding decisions could be: The Indian Govt. tourism policy on branding and advertising. The kind of service & places they offer... The budget and revenue model of the Govt.
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Sampling process The sampling process comprises several stages * Defining the population of concern * Specifying a sampling frame, a set of items or events possible to measure * Specifying a sampling method for selecting items or events from the frame * Determining the sample size * Implementing the sampling plan * Sampling and data collecting A probability sampling scheme is one in which every unit in the population has a chance (greater than zero) of being selected in the sample, and this probability can be accurately determined. The combination of these traits makes it possible to produce unbiased estimates of population totals, by weighting sampled units according to their probability of selection. Nonprobability sampling is any sampling method where some elements of the population have no chance of selection (these are sometimes referred to as 'out of coverage'/'undercovered'), or where the probability of selection can't be accurately determined. It involves the selection of elements based on assumptions regarding the population of interest, which forms the criteria for selection. Hence, because the selection of elements is nonrandom, nonprobability sampling does not allow the estimation of sampling errors. These conditions give rise to exclusion bias, placing limits on how much information a sample can provide about the population. Information about the relationship between sample and population is limited, making it difficult to extrapolate from the sample to the population. In a simple random sample ('SRS') of a given size, all such subsets of the frame are given an equal probability. Each element of the frame thus has an equal probability of selection: the frame is not subdivided or partitioned. Furthermore, any given pair of elements has the same chance of selection as any other such pair (and similarly for triples, and so on). This minimises bias and simplifies analysis of results. In particular, the variance between individual results within the sample is a good indicator of variance in the overall population, which makes it relatively easy to estimate the accuracy of results.

However, SRS can be vulnerable to sampling error because the randomness of the selection may result in a sample that doesn't reflect the makeup of the population. For instance, a simple random sample of ten people from a given country will on average produce five men and five women, but any given trial is likely to overrepresent one sex and underrepresent the other. Systematic and stratified techniques, discussed below, attempt to overcome this problem by using information about the population to choose a more representative sample.
Tools used QUESTIONNAIRE DESIGN To conduct the detail study a printed Questionnaire was prepared for the consumers & direct Interviews were held tom get the first hand information. The data collected from the survey was analyzed & conclusion is drawn As the questionnaire is self administrated one, the survey is kept simple and user friendly. Words used in questionnaire are readily understandable to all respondent. I have made the questionnaire in which questions are according to the research and these are convenience for the respondent SPSS Also the SPSS tool was used to find out for the hypothesis testing that has been used for the study. The tool was used to conduct the chi square test where the dependency of the visit to Kerala due to the various branding initiatives was taken into consideration and the dependency was checked for. The tool allowed me to find out the dependent and the non dependent factors as to which why tourists visited Kerala
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CHAPTER 4 ANALYSIS
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ANALYSIS
1. How did you come to know about Kerala?
Fig 1.6: Informatory guide From the above graph it is inferred that most of the respondents did have more than one option of getting to know about Kerala. It was found out that mainly friends and peers who had already gone or were from the place gave most of the insight that the tourists required to know. It is seen that word of mouth advertising has played an important role here as most of the respondents who visited were highly influenced by their peers. Another inference was seen that social and visual media also plays a major role in respondents information guide about the place. This is to be noted that these media nowadays has become a very important role in making people obtain information on various regards. Here, the media has played it part by the sole attribute that it has got high visibility both within the country and also outside the country. Higher the visibility more the number of tourists visiting due to the strong brand that the state has made out of itself.
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2. Effectiveness of the ad
Characteristics Very dissatisfied Presentation Title Content Artwork 12 08 18 20
Disatisfied Neutral 16 18 30 22 20 14 40 40
Satisfied 38 28 38 25
Very satisfied 64 82 24 43
Total 150 150 150 150
Table 1.1: Effectiveness of advertisement
Fig 1.7: Effectiveness of Advertisement From the above data it is seen that the advertisement has played a significant role in the tourists mind and hence their perception about the place. The advertisement has truly captured the minds of the people and has given them a brief on what is to be expected in Kerala and also strengthened its brand through the advertisement. The ad was well received by the customers and it is seen that it has made a positive impact on the respondents.
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3. Rate the factors based on your visit to Kerala
Characteristics Very satisfied Hygiene Hospitality Connectivity Safety Infrastructure 02 68 18 20 10
Satisfied 10 42 06 30 15
Neutral 32 20 36 60 65
Dissatisfied Very dissatisfied 36 10 36 26 20 70 10 54 14 40
Total 150 150 150 150 150
Table 1.2: Factors of tourism
Fig 1.8: Factors of Tourism From the above question we see that the state has to widely improve in its infrastructure and hygiene problems that the respondents have faced. It is seen that even though the branding is working there are certain areas where the state has to focus on really hard and has to improve so as to maintain that brand equity and still pull a large number of tourists to the state of Kerala

4. Effect of the following branding initiatives that led to your visit
Characteristics Very satisfied Arts festival Travel fairs 44 32
satisfied 32 36 30 24
Neutral 40 34 16 60
Dissatisfied Very dissatisfied 16 22 18 36 18 26 14 10
Total 150 150 150 150
Advertisement 72 International workshops 20
Table 1.3: Branding initiative effectiveness
Fig 1.9: Branding initiative effectives It is seen from this particular question that these branding initiatives carried out by the state has influenced the respondents in visiting Kerala.

5. Rate on the scale of 1-5 whether the branding initiatives taken by the state of Kerala has influenced you to visit Kerala
Strongly agree 58
Agree 42
Neutral 20
Disagree 16
Strongly disagree 14
Total 150
Table 1.4: Influence of branding initiatives
Fig 2.0: Influence of branding initiatives
The above question has helped to analyze whether the respondents did have a branding effect which led to their visit to Kerala. This has been further proved with the help of the CHI Square that has been carried to found the dependency.
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CHI SQUARE TEST The last two questions have been tested on their dependency and interdependency to find out for the hypothesis test. For the test we have taken the respondent as the dependent value and the independent values are arts festival, advertisement, international workshop and the travel fairs. The below are the SPSS output for the test:
Case Processing Summary
Cases Valid N respondents * arts respondents workshop respondents * intl respondents * ad 151 151 100.0% 100.0% 0 0 .0% .0% 151 151 100.0% 100.0% 151 * 151 Percent 100.0% 100.0% Missing N 0 0 Percent .0% .0% Total N 151 151 Percent 100.0% 100.0%
Table 1.5: Case summary
The above output verifies that the fact that all of the 151 respondents were taken into consideration with their respective answers and it is seen that there are no missing answers and hence forth a good result is expected.
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respondents * workshop
Chi-Square Tests Asymp. Value Pearson Chi-Square Likelihood Ratio Linear-by-Linear Association N of Valid Cases N of Valid Cases 151 151 66.801a 75.832 44.950 Df 16 16 1 (2-sided) .050 .050 .050 Sig.
a. 6 cells (24.0%) have expected count less than 5. The minimum expected count is 3.81. Table 1.6: Chi square response
In this output obtained from SPSS it is seen that the degrees of freedom is to be that of 16. Also to be noted it that we have high significance value which states that the test is 95% significant and the data can be taken as accurate. The value obtained from the chi square table resembling to that of df 16 and 0.05 significance we get a value of 26.296. We see that the obtained value from the above test is higher than that obtained from the chi square table and hence we prove that our hypothesis is rejected and we come to a conclusion here that the international workshops do have a positive impact in attracting tourists to visit Kerala. So it is proved here that the null hypothesis is rejected and the alternate hypothesis is accepted for this independent factor

Respondents * arts
Chi-Square Tests Asymp. Value Pearson Chi-Square Likelihood Ratio Linear-by-Linear Association N of Valid Cases 151 59.091a 60.803 34.430 Df 16 16 1 (2-sided) .050 .050 .050 Sig.
In this output obtained from SPSS it is seen that the degrees of freedom is to be that of 16. Also to be noted it that we have high significance value which states that the test is 95% significant and the data can be taken as accurate. The value obtained from the chi square table resembling to that of df 16 and 0.05 significance we get a value of 26.296. We see that the obtained value from the above test is higher than that obtained from the chi square table and hence we prove that our hypothesis is rejected and we come to a conclusion here that the Kerala arts festival does have a positive impact in attracting tourists to visit Kerala. So it is proved here that the null hypothesis is rejected and the alternate hypothesis is accepted for this independent factor.
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Respondents * travel fairs
Chi-Square Tests Asymp. Value Pearson Chi-Square Likelihood Ratio Linear-by-Linear Association N of Valid Cases 151 99.049a Df 16 (2-sided) .050 .050 .050 Sig.
100.790 16 53.223 1
In this output obtained from SPSS it is seen that the degrees of freedom is to be that of 16. Also to be noted it that we have high significance value which states that the test is 95% significant and the data can be taken as accurate. The value obtained from the chi square table resembling to that of df 16 and 0.05 significance we get a value of 26.296. We see that the obtained value from the above test is higher than that obtained from the chi square table and hence we prove that our hypothesis is rejected and we come to a conclusion here that the Travel fairs do have a positive impact in attracting tourists to visit Kerala. So it is proved here that the null hypothesis is rejected and the alternate hypothesis is accepted for this independent factor.
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Respondents * Advertisement
Chi-Square Tests Asymp. Value Pearson Chi-Square Likelihood Ratio Linear-by-Linear Association N of Valid Cases 151 67.837a 75.367 53.386 df 16 16 1 (2-sided) .050 .050 .050 Sig.
In this output obtained from SPSS it is seen that the degrees of freedom is to be that of 16. Also to be noted it that we have high significance value which states that the test is 95% significant and the data can be taken as accurate. The value obtained from the chi square table resembling to that of df 16 and 0.05 significance we get a value of 26.296. We see that the obtained value from the above test is higher than that obtained from the chi square table and hence we prove that our hypothesis is rejected and we come to a conclusion here that the Advertisements do have a positive impact in attracting tourists to visit Kerala. So it is proved here that the null hypothesis is rejected and the alternate hypothesis is accepted for this independent factor.
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The second objective is to understand the secret of Keralas success, we examined the states policy, planning and developmental initiatives, and these were then mapped to the results on the ground. (The Change Dynamics).
Fig 2.1: 6s of tourism Source: Kerala tourism journal Kerala highlights significant learnings for any state interested in tourism development. These (The Change Imperatives) are summarised below: Build tourism on core and naturally available resources Create an distinct brand image for tourism Compete internationally not locally Learn from mistakes made elsewhere to avoid traps of development Professional administration and strong political support to ensure stability of the tourism development programme
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Social development and citizen responsiveness to tourists are essential components of tourism development Let the professionals lead Give the private sector the space it requires to grow Package the product to align with international trends Protect the product to ensure sustainable development Continue to work on the disadvantages and weakness Take tourism seriously making tourism everybodys business
Building the Kerala Brand Kerala has relentlessly marketed itself as a quality brand to the rest of the world. Beginning with its immensely successful brand slogan Gods own country, the state has continued to make rigorous efforts to build and sustain its image in the world tourism market. Some of the key aspects of this brand building have been captured below: Quality promotional materials
The promotional materials are in the form of CDs, videos, presentations, brochures of the highest quality, technology and style. The state has produced a kit of seven brochures called Life in a New Light and a series of CDs called Expressions, covering all its major products and aspects. Advertising focus on source markets
To enable value for money spent on promotion, the state has focused its advertising efforts on key source markets and identified tourist segments. Accordingly, the focus has largely been on tour operator magazines, especially in UK, Germany and France. Participation in international fairs
Kerala tourism participates in all the major international events related to its identified source markets. Some of the key international fairs the state has participated in the year 2003 are the following: -International Tourisms Bourse (ITB) 2003, Berlin

-Arabian Travel Mart (ATM), 2003, Dubai -PATA Travel Mart 2003, Singapore -World Travel Mart (WTM) 2003, London -OTDYKH Leisure 2003, Moscow -China International Travel Mart (CITM) 2003, Kumming Road shows
To widen the tourism base and showcase the state to new select markets, Kerala tourism conducts several road-shows at hitherto unexplored markets in addition to the existing traditional ones. The state has conducted road shows at the following national and international locations: Domestic markets: Jaipur, Nagpur, Agra, Ahmedabad, Delhi, Pune, Hyderabad, Goa, Chandigarh, Bangalore, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata International Markets: Colombo, London, Berlin, France, Dubai, Singapore Understanding with other players
Under an MOU that has been signed between Kerala Tourism and Indian Airlines, the airlines is promoting new tourism packages to the state. A Festival of Kerala Cuisine was celebrated by Indian Airlines, during which period all Indian Airlines flights across India served Kerala cuisine. This festival was highlighted in an IA brochure. Creating International Platforms
In addition to formal marketing and promotional efforts, Kerala tourism has explored all avenues to place the state on an international and global platform. Some of the initiatives are as follows: -Kerala Travel Mart (KTM) Formed as a society in 2000 with all players as members (tour operators, travel agents, airlines, hotels), the KTM is an occasion where buyers (international tour operators and the media) are hosted. It is an international forum for tourism buyers and tourism

sellers (resort owners and the state) to meet in dynamic sessions where destinations are discussed and packages finalized. The 2000 KTM hosted 450 buyers; the 2004 KTM, to be held in October, is expected to host over 750 buyers from all over the world, who are to be wooed by over 230 sellers. The Kerala Travel Mart, which has been enormously successful the last two times it has been held in the state, offers an opportunity for resorts, tour operators, houseboats and ayurvedic centres, among others, to showcase their products and services, and for the state to showcase its brand. - India International Boat Show (IIBS) The IIBS held in Kochi is an international event that will go a long way to position Kerala as an international cruise destination and integrate its brand in Indias emerging yachting market. The IIBS brings together on a single platform, the entire boating, and marine and aqua tourism industry from around the globe. IIBS 2003 was the first of its kind in the country, and attracted around 60 exhibitors from across Europe, America and Asia, with prestigious participants and brand names. Estimated business to the tune of US$ 20 million was generated at this show a phenomenal achievement. -Swarnam Kerala Gold Fest The first Kerala Gold Festival was held in 2003 and branded as Swarnam 2003. Organized by Kerala Tourism, in association with the World Gold Council (WGC) and the All-Kerala Gold and Silver Merchants Association (AKGSMA), the festival is planned to last for a month, and will involve all gold and silver merchants. Events that showcase the history and traditions of gold in Kerala, exhibitions of gold jewellery and designs, interactive sessions with gold workers, and cultural programmes, will be the highlight of special events in the States five major cities. The Gold Festival is intended to position Kerala as the gold capital of the country. Turkey, which is a major tourist destination, earns approximately Rs.2, 500 crore from gold jewellery sold to tourists. Kerala intends to leverage its expertise in gold to exploit this potential.
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SWAGAT Swagat literally means welcome in Sanskrit. It can, in the tourism terminology, be accepted to encompass aspects of hospitality such as service, cordiality, generous reception, kindness, consideration and warmth. Much of what is connoted by swagat is the abstract and soft element of tourism. Hence, this section presents the two important dimensions of swagat, one the practical aspects covering facilitation, and the other the memorable experience that the tourist takes back with him/her as positive memories of the trip. SOOCHNA Tourism activity encompasses the world, spanning countries, cultures and languages. Effective communication through efficient information networks forms a vital input. Soochna, which in Hindi literally means conveying of information, would in tourism parlance refer to the efficacious communication of information, both in terms of selling the product and in terms of facilitating travel. Accordingly, the following section covers the two dimensions of marketing and promotion and information dissemination. SUVIDHA Holiday tourists, as well as business travellers, look for a comfortable stay and all conveniences during travel. Suvidha, which in Hindi means ease or facility, in the tourism vocabulary expands to include aspects such as accommodation during stay as well as conveniences and amenities at places the tourist visits. The manner in which Kerala has addressed the Suvidha dimension has been covered in the following sections through two parameters, accommodation and stay and facilities and conveniences provided to the incoming visitors. SURAKSHA The tourism sector is highly sensitive to aspects concerning safety and security of tourists. The September 11 attack on the WTC and the Bali bombing, leading to a spiralling downward trend in international arrivals across the globe, underlines this critical aspect. Tourists, especially foreign tourists, perceive themselves as vulnerable in a foreign land and carefully look at this dimension while deciding their travel plans.

Suraksha, which literally means security or protection in Hindi, translates to this significant tourism dimension. The following analysis also interprets suraksha to mean environmental protection, which forms a critical requirement for ensuring sustainable development of tourism in a state. Accordingly, the following sections cover Keralas response to this dimension through two parameters, safety and security and environmental protection. SAHYOG Development of the tourism sector in the state calls for cooperation and coordination between various departments of the government, between officials of the state and the districts, between the public and private sector, between states and regions. Sahyog, which literally means support or cooperation in Hindi, when applied to the tourism platform can be interpreted to imply a range of multi-level coordination that goes into developing tourism. This includes coordination of quality-related aspects necessary to ensure that provision of tourism services translates to positive hospitality on the ground. Accordingly, the parameters covered would relate to coordination and cooperation and quality assurance and control and cover the manner in which Kerala has addressed these dimensions. SANRACHNA The Development of Tourism, is closely involved with the creation of attractive tourism products, providing the necessary core infrastructure and ensuring that all linkage infrastructures are in place. Sanrachna, which means orderly creation in Hindi, can be understood, in the tourism context, to mean the systematic/strategic development of the sector by necessary tourism creation.
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The third objective is to understand how tourism contributes to the revenue of a country and its states. Tourism is the largest service industry in India, with a contribution of 6.23% to the national GDP and 8.78% of the total employment in India. India witnesss more than 5 million annual foreign tourist arrivals and 562 million domestic tourism visits. The tourism industry in India generated about US$100 billion in 2008 and that is expected to increase to US$275.5 billion by 2018 at a 9.4% annual growth rate. In the year 2009, 5.11 million foreign tourists visited India. Majority of foreign tourists come from USA and UK and Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Delhi and Uttar Pradesh were the top four states to receive inbound tourists. Domestic tourism in the same year was massive at 650 million. Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu received the big share of these visitors Ministry of Tourism is the nodal agency to formulate national policies and programmers for the development and promotion of tourism. In the process, the Ministry consults and collaborates with other stakeholders in the sector including various Central Ministries/agencies, the State Governments/ union Territories and the representatives of the private sector. Concerted efforts are being made to promote new forms of tourism such as rural, cruise, medical and eco-tourism The Ministry of Tourism is the nodal agency for the development and promotion of tourism in India and maintains the "Incredible India" campaign. Today Indian economy depends a lot upon its invisibles and tourism sector is a major part of it. It is a treat to watch such type of unity remarked the President of India at the inauguration of fifth Global Travel and Tourism Summit in New Delhi on 8th April, 2005. Indian tourism crossed 3 million mark (3.37 million) in number of arrivals of foreign tourists in year 2004, showing a remarkable growth of 24 % over the previous year. The number of foreign tourist arrivals in 2004, 3.37 million, in India formed 0.44% of total world foreign tourist arrivals. The foreign exchange earnings have also grown by 38% to US$ 4810 billion. The total contribution of this sector, direct and indirect, to Indian GDP is around 5.83%.This sector is directly and indirectly linked to many other sectors in the economy. A growth in tourism industry affects industries like handicrafts, handlooms, transportation (mainly aviation), real estate (or infrastructure) and many more. One of the major sectors to which tourism is linked to is Real Estate According to World Travel and Tourism Council, India will be a tourism hotspot from 2009 2018, having the highest 10-year growth potential.[7] The Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Report 2007 ranked tourism in India 6th in terms of price competitiveness and 39th in terms

of safety and security. Indian grand prix to boost tourism from the year 2011 despite shortand medium-term setbacks, such as shortage of hotel rooms tourism revenues are expected to surge by 42% from 2007 to 2017. Tourism in India needs to be understood in the global context of competing destinations. It may be thought of as multiple Indias with a multitude of competing destinations Goa, Rajasthan, Kerela, Assam, and Kashmir under the India umbrella. India's 5000 years of history, its length, breadth and the variety of geographic features make its tourism basket large and varied. It presents heritage and cultural tourism along with medical, business and sports tourism. India has a growing medical tourism sector In two years, the revenue from tourism industry has recorded a growth of 10,000 million rupees, informed Mr. Kodiyeri Balakrishnan, Minister for Tourism. Many tourism projects are planned to be implemented with the assistance of National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD). The government is concentrating on the infrastructure development of tourism destinations. The existing eco-tourist destinations in the state will be given better facilities, like the building of tree-top huts. Dr. Venu, V., Secretary, Kerala Tourism, has viewed the rise in revenue as a reward for the visionary initiatives of Kerala Tourism. With its healthy, eco-friendly and responsible enterprises, Kerala Tourism has already become a model for many, he added. The Kerala Tourism Department has set a Rs 16,000-crore revenue target for this year (January-December), as against Rs 13,230 crore registered in 2009, a senior tourism department official said today. The state has attracted 5.58 lakh foreign and 79 lakh domestic tourists during 2009 and it was expected to cross six lakh International tourists and 83 lakh domestic tourists in the current year, Deputy Director (Publicity and Marketing) Suresh Kumar P G told PTI. Retaining the position of a leader in the World tourism map, Kerala tourism has formulated several innovative strategies that promised to take 'Branch Kerala' miles across its borders, he said. Of the foreign tourists visited Kerala, particularly Backwaters and Ayurveda camps, 26 per cent belonged to the United Kingdom, Suresh Kumar, here to organise partnership meet, on the lines of buyers-sellers meet, said. About 20 per cent of foreign tourists made it a point to visit Kovalam beach,he said. He said 11 city partnership meets conducted in Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad, Ahmadabad, Surat, Nagpur, Kolkatta, Pune, Mumbai and Chandigarh and New Delhi ensured that the domestic inflow was kept steady despite the economic slump.
CHAPTER 5 CONCLUSION
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SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION
Conclusion The study conducted here mainly deals with five different sections which I have used to carry out the whole dissertation. The study has been done to find out whether the various branding initiatives carried out by Kerala were effective enough to attract a large number of tourists. In the first part of the study I have gone by to see what the main problem is seen within the industry which made me choose my topic. I have conducted an industry analysis whereby I got an idea of what is happening in the present day scenario. Then I went on to find what the problem within the industry is where I could carry out my research and also carried out the related concepts that was related to the topic In the second part all the related literature was reviewed and also studies that were carried out abroad and in India were gone through. This helped me to find out what was the reason that made me take up the topic and helped in shaping up my project as a whole. This part also gave me a plan of how the reviews made me choose the topic for study. The third part consists of the research design and methodology. In this part my objectives were stated and also the main problem that was to be addressed was stated. Also the various technique and tools required for the study was finalized. The method in how the study had to be conducted was also finalized along with the tools required for the hypothesis testing. In the next part of the study, I conducted a thorough analysis of the questionnaire that was prepared by me on the topic and both quantitative and qualitative analysis was carried out by me. The quantitative analysis was carried with the help of SPSS and the qualitative analysis was done with the help of secondary data that was available to me. The last part of the study was mainly about the conclusions that I had arrived and also made me give my suggestions for the study that was conducted. Also the findings were given by me after conducting the study from which inferences were made. The whole study has given an insight of how states are going about branding themselves as it does bring in a lot of revenue and how tourism has become an important part in a countys GDP.
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Findings The study conducted by me was a very good insight into the world of branding and how it does play an important role in todays world. The study has allowed me to get a deeper and in depth view of how a country and its states brand themselves on various attributes and attracts tourists. The main objectives of my study gave me knowledge of what is actually happening within our country and states and how the government has also initiated various drives, programs and guidelines set for tourism. The first objective helped me in finding that our government does have certain guidelines that have been set up for states so as to be followed. The guidelines gave 6 major aspects that states had to follow in order to attract tourists. Also it gave an idea how much the Government has looked into the natural resources that the states possess and how much of that can be utilized to enhance their beauty and hence help them in boosting tourism. The 6 point guideline set up by the government was based on hospitality, accommodation, connectivity, information, safety and infrastructure. The Government had given guidelines as to how the country and the states had to be perfect in all these aspects so as to deem them fit for tourism. The particular state of my study, Kerala had adhered to all these guidelines to make it a success story of today. Kerala had the proper connectivity in all the 3 forms i.e by air, sea and by rail. It was well connected with all the districts within the state and also was connected to other states properly. The information that was provided to tourists was also found to helpful so as to ease their stay in Kerala. The safety aspects were also very good which had made a good impact on the tourists and further helped to spread the word of mouth about the place and its tourism It also gave me an insight into how the country was also into tourism branding by the name Incredible India. The same guidelines were set so that the country could excel in these 6 areas and make India a tourist destination for a lot of tourists around the world.
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In the second part of the study I had conducted a secondary study to find out the revenue that was generated by the country and the states in India. It was found that Kerala had done exceptionally well in this field and is almost to cross the 16,000 crore mark which is truly a feat to achieve in terms of revenue. It was found that tourism has become Indias largest service industry and it contributed to around 6.23% to the national GDP. This has become an outstanding feat due to the sole reason that the Government had taken initiatives to promote the country and its states through an integrated process of branding which positioned the country and its states distinct from the rest of the world and thus kept and is keeping on attracting tourists year by year and is only on the increase as the years go on. It was only found that tourism not only contributed to the GDP of the nation but also played an important part in increasing employment opportunities within this service industry. It was seen that around 8% of the total employment in India came from this industry of tourism. It was also found that around US $100 billion was generated from tourism in 2008 and is expected to increase to around $280 billion by 2018. So the whole industry has a whole is on the growth and branding has become an influential role in this growth. It is also seen that India has the highest growth potential n the next 10 years for tourism and this is only going to increase the revenue generation for the nation. Even though the country and its states have some small hiccups still India has the potential and is attracting tourists at a very large scale and in a report it was found that it would only increase the revenue generation for the country on a whole. In the final part of the study, a quantitative analysis was carried out with the help of a statistical tool and a questionnaire to find out whether branding indeed did have an influence on tourist attraction and visit to the state of Kerala in particular. The questionnaire had important questions that were taken into consideration for the study to find out the effect of branding on individual tourists. It was found that friends were the major contributors in the form of word of mouth advertising that people came to know about Kerala. It was also seen that Tv ads and the internet were also an important part in increasing the awareness of the brand called Kerala. Here it was seen that the visual media in form of television and social media and the internet as a whole has a major role in promoting the state and also in the role of information

processing through these mediums. This question gave me an idea of how strong the brand is and how much people knew about it through various media. The next question was carried out to find out the effectiveness of the ad that was released by the KTDC for promotion of the state now which has become a brand. It was found that most of the respondents were happy with how the ad presented and showcased what kerala has to provide and this in turn has left a positive impact in the respondents mind about the brand. They have found the artwork and the title very captivating which is like a direct invitation to the state to find your true inner self. The ad was so held in the mind of the respondents that they could associate themselves to the ad in the form that they did have a wish to visit Kerala. The next question was answered by respondents based on their experience in Kerala. The question was set up on the basis of the 6 s that the Government had initiated for successful tourism in the states. Here a mixed response was obtained. This question was developed as a repetitive study which had already been conducted but it was found that there were certain aspects that still required improvement by the state. It was seen that respondents were not happy with the hygiene problems that they had come across during their visit. It was not found at the point of stay but around the state during their visit. Also infrastructure in the form of roads and other public amenities were not as pleasing to the tourists when compared to other places. It was seen that the people of Kerala were truly co-operative in nature and did help the tourists in their need. Also the respondents were happy with the connectivity that the state provided which helped them to navigate easily within places in the state and helped in their ease of travel. The next 2 questions were used to obtain the quantitative data and hence then used to carry out the chi square test that is used to find the dependency. The test was carried out to find out whether the various branding initiatives did or did not influence the respondents visit to Kerala. The first question dealt with the various branding initiatives that the state had carried out to attract tourists. It was seen that the advertisement and the arts festival were the major attracting factors that led to the respondents visit to the state. The other two factors also did contribute but not as much as the other two. The next question was carried out to find out whether the respondents had visited Kerala due to above initiatives that were carried out. It was found that a lot of the respondents did visit Kerala due to the various branding initiatives that was carried out by the state.

Next the chi square test was carried out to find whether these branding initiatives did really make the respondents visit Kerala. The test was a very positive test which showed that visit to Kerala was highly dependent on the various branding initiatives that were carried out by the Kerala tourism department. In the test the null hypothesis was rejected due to the high value that was obtained from the state which was more than that obtained from the chi square table at that particular degree of freedom. So, it was found out that branding had indeed played an important and large role in attracting tourists to Kerala. The test proved quantitatively that branding is an important toll that is used in tourism nowadays. It gave me an in depth analysis of how and why branding is to be done so as to attract tourists into the state. Branding indeed is required to make the state a brand in the consumers mind so that they do get influenced by the various initiatives and hence increase the inflow of tourists and in turn increase the revenue generation for the state. The whole study gave me an idea into the world of branding and how tourism has now become a brand and how that contributes to the revenue and how important a tool it has become. It has provided me with the knowledge that branding is truly an important aspect in the world of tourism and in todays world to occupy a position in the consumers mind. Also it can be seen that how a state has gone on to brand itself by using various resources and tools and how successful it has become. It is seen that how Kerala has truly become GODS OWN COUNTRY.
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Limitation
The study is limited only to Indian tourism The conclusions are totally based on the data collected and peoples perception and their experience.
A small part of the study has been already conducted but was re looked into to find out the improvements were made or not.
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Suggestions
The state has to improve its hygiene in the form of better surroundings and public hygiene
It has to make the corporation keep the state free of litter and the drains should be closed down
The infrastructure in form of roads should be well maintained. They have to be well tarred and maintained without pot holes in it
Also public amenities such as rest rooms, bus stands etc have to maintained well so as to increase its usability by the tourists
There has been a shortage in accommodation in form of hotels so the state should improve in the number of hotels in the coming years so as to accommodate all the visiting tourists
More information kiosks to be kept by the government so as to provide information More connectivity increase in the form of Government buses throughout every nook and corner of the state having tourist destinations
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BIBILOGRAPHY
To obtain more information regarding the present study and to substantiate it with theoretical proof, the following references were made:
List of Books and other supplementary material referred Marketing Management - By - Philip Kotler Research Methodology - By - C. B. Kothari Marketing reports Kerala tourism development corporation Journal of product and brand management Journal of product management
List of Websites www.keraltourism.org www.ebscohost.com www.wikipedia.org www.emerald.com www.hindu.net www.indiantourismonline.com www.researchonindia.com www.reportlinker.com www.ssrn.com
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Appendix
QUESTIONNAIRE 1) Personal details Name Age Occupation 2) Do you go on vacations? a) Yes b) no
3) Preferred destination a) Outside India b) Within India
4) Have you visited Kerala? a) Yes b) no
5) How did you come to know about Kerala? a) TV ad b) friends c) magazines d) internet e) travel agencies
6) Have you seen the ad for Kerala tourism? a) Yes b) no
7) Has the ad helped in you made a decision? a) Yes b) no

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8) How effective was the ad in terms of
Characteristics Very dissatisfied Presentation Title Content Artwork
Disatisfied Neutral
Satisfied
Very satisfied
9) Rate the following initiatives by Kerala tourism that led to your visit
Characteristics Very satisfied Hygiene Hospitality Connectivity Safety Infrastructure
Satisfied
Neutral
Dissatisfied Very dissatisfied
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10) Rate the following factors based on your experience to Kerala
Characteristics Very satisfied Hygiene Hospitality Connectivity Safety Infrastructure
Satisfied
Neutral
Dissatisfied Very dissatisfied
11) Has Kerala as a state deliver what it promised through its branding on your visit? a) Yes b) no
12) Rate on the scale of 1-5 whether the branding initiatives taken by the state of Kerala has influenced you to visit Kerala
Strongly agree
Agree
Neutral
Disagree
Strongly disagree
Page 61

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Impact of Branding on Kerala Tourism

Christ University Institute Of Management

Impact of Branding on Kerala Tourism

Christ University Institute Of Management

Impact of Branding on Kerala Tourism

Impact of Branding on Kerala Tourism

Impact of Branding on Kerala Tourism

Christ University Institute Of Management

Impact of Branding on Kerala Tourism

Impact of Branding on Kerala Tourism

Christ University Institute Of Management

Impact of Branding on Kerala Tourism

Impact of Branding on Kerala Tourism

Impact of Branding on Kerala Tourism

Impact of Branding on Kerala Tourism

Impact of Branding on Kerala Tourism

Impact of Branding on Kerala Tourism

Tourist circuits in India

Fig 1.2: Tourist circuits in India

Impact of Branding on Kerala Tourism

Fig 1.3: Tourist visit in India Source: CMIE industry database

Impact of Branding on Kerala Tourism

Impact of Branding on Kerala Tourism

Christ University Institute Of Management

Impact of Branding on Kerala Tourism

Christ University Institute Of Management

Impact of Branding on Kerala Tourism

CHAPTER 2 REVIEW OF LITERATURE

Christ University Institute Of Management

Impact of Branding on Kerala Tourism

Brand knowledge comprises two components:

Christ University Institute Of Management

Impact of Branding on Kerala Tourism

A Framework of Brand Equity Formation

Impact of Branding on Kerala Tourism

Christ University Institute Of Management

Impact of Branding on Kerala Tourism

Product & Brand Management, Vol. 14 Iss: 4, pp.258 - 259

Christ University Institute Of Management

Impact of Branding on Kerala Tourism

Christ University Institute Of Management

Impact of Branding on Kerala Tourism

Impact of Branding on Kerala Tourism

Christ University Institute Of Management

Impact of Branding on Kerala Tourism

CHAPTER 3 RESEARCH & DESIGN

Christ University Institute Of Management

Impact of Branding on Kerala Tourism

The sample size taken was 150

Impact of Branding on Kerala Tourism

Christ University Institute Of Management

Impact of Branding on Kerala Tourism

Impact of Branding on Kerala Tourism

Christ University Institute Of Management

Impact of Branding on Kerala Tourism

Christ University Institute Of Management

Impact of Branding on Kerala Tourism

Christ University Institute Of Management

Impact of Branding on Kerala Tourism

Characteristics Very dissatisfied Presentation Title Content Artwork 12 08 18 20

Total 150 150 150 150

Table 1.1: Effectiveness of advertisement