Domestic tourism in India

METHODOLOGY

INTRODUCTION

This chapter is very essential in enabling the researcher achieve aims and objectives of this dissertation. So first lay down the fundamental aim followed by its objectives. Then go through understanding what research is and discuss the different types of research methods that are used in this study. For instance discussion is carried out on the various accessed secondary research data and primary research data collection method by looking at quantitative research method of survey questionnaire and justifying the choice of selection of the research method. The emphasis on questionnaire design and layout will be considered alongside projecting the significance of pilot testing before the questionnaire is distributed. The chapter also illuminate on substantiate sampling and selected computer software for data analysis. And finally portray the various research limitations.

Aim and Objectives

Aim of this research is to find out the motivational factors behind domestic tourism in India. And in order to achieve the aim it is important to fulfil the various objectives of this research which are:

1. To examine the several motivational and consumer behaviour studies within the context of the tourism industry.
2. Analysing the trends of domestic tourism in India.
3. To examine the motivational factors/ perceptions and attitudes towards domestic tourism in Mumbai city in India.
4. To compare and contrast the motivational factors underpinning domestic tourism identified within the literature, with those identified by the primary data analysis for India.
5. To examine the implications of the findings of this research for the future of domestic tourism activity in India.

Now having looked at the aim of the research and its objectives, it is necessary to differentiate the salient features of the secondary research data with that of the primary research as they form to help analyse the outcome of this research findings.

Secondary Research

Secondary research data is collection of work that is done and published by some researcher which is available for others researchers to use in their study (Jennings, 2001). Hakim (1982) defined secondary research as “further analysis of an existing dataset which presents interpretations, conclusions, or knowledge additional to, or different from, those presented in the first report on the inquiry as a whole and its main results”. Secondary data is very important prior to going into primary data as one can avoid repetition of the same data so as to cross check and see to it that the data that is being collected is not already available in secondary resource (Finn et al 2000). The sources of secondary data can be collected from various sources with advice from the concerned subject professor and librarian along with the help of internet, classmates and bibliographies of the literature that is read in various sources like books, journals etc (Silverman, 2005). As Jennings (2001) also pointed out the key advantages of secondary data collection which consisted of:

• Easy and quick accessibility to the available information.
• Quality of data acquired is of high standard when cross referred from peer sources.
• Information is gathered for a very low cost.
• Less time consuming process.
• Provides the opportunity to re-examine the findings.
• Using the data is convenient.

The secondary data used in this study was obtained from various resources affiliated and available through the Bournemouth University library catalogue. So as to represent only authentic data in my study I have used tried to refer and use mostly work and studies done by reputed authors or organisations. The information that has been obtained are of sources ranging from:

• Books: All the books referred were from the Bournemouth University library and some of which were e books available on internet. The books referred ranged from topic covering tourism, consumer behaviour, psychology, and motivation and research methods.
• Academic Journals: Journals showcasing several articles published of most recent and authentic information was accessed and utilised which were mostly derived through various online journals like Sage publications, EBSCO host, Science Direct from Athens database.
• Published documents and reports: Data derived from several reports published by organisations like WTO, Ministry of Tourism (India), Indian Government publications were utilised in supporting my study.
• Internet and electronic database: While using the internet source the fact of authentic reliability was highly regarded and hence very few information was utilised through internet. Most of the data utilised was obtained from electronic data source on subjects relating to tourism and motivation which was again acquired with the help of Athens Database.

But it is also very essential that one realise the threat lying in utilising secondary data for instance Jennings (2001) revealed some issues relating disadvantages like incomplete available data, the reliability factor, and confirmation on validity of information or the data might become out of date. So being aware of the setbacks of secondary data was keenly observed while utilising it for the study and was only used in supporting and guiding to understand the literature behind the topic.

Primary Research

Primary data is the information that is gathered from the field of research carried out and developed by a researcher for their own research (Burns and Bush, 2000). Cohen et al (2007) described primary source to be items having direct relationship with reconstruction of events which comprise of oral and written testimony collected from the participants. Jennings (2001) pointed out the potential benefits of primary data lie in the ease of studying a large population analysis with out much bias. And there are two major methods of conducting a primary research that are quantitative and qualitative research methods.

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Quantitative and Qualitative Research

Researchers gather first hand information through various methods, then collect and arrange them in order and then analyse them to use in their study. This is popularly known as primary research and hence to carryout that it is very necessary for the researcher to consider the nature of their study and chose the right research method (Jennings, 2001). Primary data collection methods chiefly consist of two types: quantitative and qualitative methods (Finn et al 2000). In order to select the right primary research method for study it is important to understand the differences between the both research methods. According to Jennings (2001) listed the difference between quantitative and qualitative research methods. Where he explained that research approach in quantitative is deductive in nature which means that theories and concepts are already available through the past data using which researcher conducts a hypothesis to test these concepts through data collection and analysis.

Qualitative research takes a more inductive approach where the researcher develops theories and concepts through observation and brings out ideas thorough observing the collected data rather than predetermined ideas. Quantitative research undertakes the hypothetical testing by observer to be objective to come to a conclusion with structured, systematic design of the research which can be replicable but whereas qualitative research depends more on the subjective view of the ground reality and the research seems to be unstructured with recent developing changes being applied as they emerge during the course. The focus of the research for a quantitative research is variable when compared qualitative research which depends on specific study themes. While selecting participants to carryout the research quantitative research randomly selects the participants but qualitative research chooses its participants with several considerations being specific to them. The representation of data and findings put forth through quantitative research is numeric in nature which can be statistically analysed with the help of graphic representation like statistical tables and graphs. But qualitative research approach represents data through textual form which is more narrative in nature. And lastly the finding analysis and conclusion is only a representation of the real world in case of quantitative and qualitative research result is a slice of life in the real world.

Quantitative research method

Having looked at the various differences between the two research methods does not conclude that quantitative research method is better than qualitative or vice versa. Because both have their own advantages and disadvantages depending upon the type of research and study a researcher is undertaking certain phenomenon might be better studied in qualitative and some with quantitative analysis (Muijs 2004). Veal’s (1997) stated that qualitative study approach which consists of focusing on observation of depth interviews does not support the cause of a study when the researcher aims to project a common statement of analysis regarding large groups of population. Keeping in mind the fact that this study deals with quantifying the several motivational factors for domestic tourist in India and so it would include dealing large population groups to try and assessing their motivational factors. Hence it would be appropriate to utilise quantitative approach towards the study would enable the researcher to bring out the finds in the form of statistical data analysis.

Questionnaire Survey

Burns and Bush (2000) referred quantitative research to be a survey research involving usage of structured questions whose responses are predetermined and it involves correspondence of large number of respondents. Saunders et al (2003) highlighted that any kind of research would usually involve some numeric data that can be utilised to respond to the questions arise in the research and Veal (1997) also stated that quantitative analysis is widely preferred and used research method in tourism and leisure industry to gather individual information with help of a designed list of questions which are put through the survey participants. Gillham (2000) showcased some advantages of using questionnaires saying it could be cost effective and can save a lot of time as it helps to gather mass amount of information in a limited and short frame of time. It proves to be more convenient for the anonymously selected survey respondents to answer closed ended questions straight away without any biased reaction towards it unlike interviews which can induce biased opinions at times during the course of the interview. As the designed questionnaire contains the same set of questions repeated for all the respondents to answer so it becomes easier to compare and contrast the responses to asses and analyse the results and its trends.

But it is also necessary to understand the possible setbacks which can occur while applying this approach to the study which Gillham (2000) correctly pointed out by explaining that while conducting a survey the researcher would often have to deal with certain negative features which could include issues where quality and accuracy of data cannon be guaranteed if the questionnaire is not properly designed. As the questions should be short and simple for the respondents to understand and reply and sometimes the seriousness of response to the questions is also always an issue of apprehension. Ryan (1995) also stated that it is very essential for a researcher to go through the survey process very circumspectly if it is conducted through a questionnaire because once the responses are collected one can neither refer back to them for understanding their responses nor fabricate or correct the responses if they have been misinterpreted by the respondents. So in order to carryout a research bound by time constraints like identifying the various motivational factors of domestic tourism in India does recommend developing a questionnaire to conduct a survey keeping in mind all these potential threats. So the questionnaire should be carefully studied and design layout should be properly done specifically considering the usage of right choice of wording before it is distributed for the survey.

Questionnaire Design, Layout and Pilot Testing

Having considered the various pros and cons of developing a questionnaire for a survey above it is also very essential to carefully layout a design for a questionnaire. It is very important to review what questions will be addressed in the questionnaire. There can be different types of questions asked so it is very important to asses the type of questions because the outcome of information depends on the collection of data (Brace 2008). Pizam and Ellis (1999) stated that questions obtaining basic profile information form a vital part of the questionnaire along with the other collected information of the respondent’s attitudes and behaviour. So the online questionnaire which is developed would also asses the demographic information of the participants along with others. The questionnaire would consist of 19 questions and would consist of following sections asking various questions like

• Personal Information
• Travel pattern
• Motivation sources
• Experience and satisfaction measurement
• Future activity

The designed questionnaire mostly consists of closed ended questions to help and enable respondents to respond to them quickly and not consuming much of their valuable time. Brace (2008) also suggested that researchers analysing behaviour analysis would normally go for closed ended questions and it seems to be a popular option preferred as the respondents have to just tick or select the boxes to respond to the questions which leaves least room for error and confusion and the data can be easily assessed later on. Most of the closed questions in this study included different types of question pattern like checklist, Likert scale and attitude scale to asses the attitude and behaviour of the tourist. And Churchill (1999) identified coding to be more useful and handy while doing questionnaire because if the questions are arranged, designed and laid out properly with wording taken care off with choice of answers being represented in numbers and codes through any computer software then it would be very effortless to collect the data and analyse with a computer coding software.

To carryout this survey electronic email was chosen as the most suited method to survey considering the fact that the researcher is far away from the country where the survey is going to be conducted and also baring in mind the expenses and time constraints. Sproull (1986 cited Thach 1995) stated that electronic survey can be beneficial particularly in survey research and identified four key characteristics of electronic email which were

• Speed

• It much easier and faster to send questionnaires through email to any part of the world in seconds and hence the reply would also be fast once the questions are answered.

• Asynchronous communication

• The communication of message can be sent and received at convenience as it gives an option to the participants to reply at their ease when they are free. They can leisurely think and answer the questions. And not be tied down to be replied instantly and make them loose their valuable time.

• No intermediaries

• In several cases the mails sent by post or interviews could be rejected or filtered by the assistants and secretaries of the concerned personnel so there are more chances of mails being directly sent to the concerned person and they open it directly. But even this is being monitored in recent changes but there are more chances when compared to the other ways considering the fact that it would reach faster.

• Ephemerality

• Ephemerality explains the fact that an online questionnaire can be deleted at any time with ease and hence would have no trace in the form of hard copy of it once it is deleted unless someone saves and prints out on a paper. So when the respondents complete the survey and send them they can delete them at their will and don’t need to bother much about it once it is done unlike the posted mails.

Pilot testing the questionnaire is very essential before the questionnaire is actually distributed amongst the population. Piloting tests two key features of a questionnaire that are reliability where the questionnaire is considered to be reliable depending upon the amount of consistency that shows in the responses that are received and validity where its considered to be valid if the researcher gets the evaluation right that the questionnaire was originally destined for Brace (2008). This helps the researcher to evidently identify the problems related to respondents leaving out certain questions unanswered and also asses the satisfactory reception of information for the respondents to understand and answer (Bryman, 2001). It also helps in explaining if the respondents understand the wordings and certain terms in the questions and if the questions have a flow of pattern, then the amount of time that is consumed for replying the questions and it gives a clear picture of which approach of data analysis to carryout one the responses are collected Jennings (2001). Hence in order to do the pilot testing the questionnaires were first sent through email to 10 respondents to try and check the quality and understand the responses. Based on the received responses minor changes were done to the questionnaire for fine tuning.

Sampling

Researchers must carryout sampling well in advance in the course of research as several aspects like time constraints, money expenses and the ease of access to carryout the survey are always certain setbacks and restrictions which reoccur. These prevent the researcher to limit oneself to measuring analysis of only a small and compartment representation of a true population and often not the total population (Cohen et al 2007). In this study it is virtually impossible to carryout the research across the whole of India with its mammoth population representation alongside its diverse culture and languages pertaining to their geographical locations. Hence to make it convenient for the researcher the survey was carried out within the boundary of limitation selecting only one city as the representative. Mumbai city was selected to be the location for selecting sample population as the city is widely popular across the world in spite of not being the administrative capital city of India. Though the people of Mumbai city alone does not form the collective attitude and behaviour of the whole country but this could be considered to be the closest that one can get to understanding the behaviour of the Population in India considering the limitations of the research.

Data Analysis

The data of this research which is collected with the help of quantitative research method of questionnaire will be analysed by going through the responses received and drawing comparisons with the studied literature review. As Ryan (1995) suggested that it is very important to keep in mind the prime aims and objectives of the research while interpreting the data through statistical representation. Quantitative research data analysis is most effective when it represents various variables in the form of statistical and numerical projections (Jennings 2001). Hence this research data is best suited to be analysed with the help of SPSS computer software. Along with this data analysis conclusions will be drawn from the secondary data as well to get an understanding on the behavioural pattern and provide a scope for further study. Having looked at data analysis methods in this section it is also essential to identify the various limitations that hinder the research.

Limitation of the Research

One of the major limitation for this research is the generalisation of the India’s population as it seems virtually impossible to carryout the survey all the throughout the country. Considering the fact that it is a very huge country with a huge population and even with the best efforts with no time limits can still not bring out the true picture. Hence the survey was restricted to only Mumbai city. Another major constrain for the researcher was the accessibility to information regarding domestic tourism in India. There has been very little research done on the aspect of domestic tourism in India hence to gather information related to concerned topics was very difficult and limited. Part of the information and data was collected from the government publications and several online articles published by various researchers.

Considering the fact that the researcher is far away from the geographical location of the survey being conducted and considering the limited time and cost effectiveness in travelling to carryout the survey in person would have been difficult. So the survey was conducted by emailing the questionnaires to the people known to the researcher and there by asking those collective members to distribute the questionnaire across to their contacts to respond. But even the electronic survey systems had their share of problems as Veal (2006) pointed out that the surveys conducted online through emailing the questionnaire have resulted in very poor response rates in the modern trend so keeping in mind the less response rate the questionnaire was sent to as many contacts as possible and it succeeded in collecting 100 responses. Issues relating to the questionnaire design were identified as another limitation as several responses did not respond to all the questions as it entirely depends on the different educational levels of understanding of the respondents which could have led to misinterpretation and confusion of the questions

Chapter Summary

This chapter presented the aims of the research to clearly identify the various objectives that are supposed to achieve. Then it talks about the research methods undertaken in acquiring past data and understanding the literature behind the topic through secondary research methods. Also explaining the primary research methods researcher detailed the different approach towards acquiring data collection. In order to do that it also speaks about the questionnaire designing and layout of the questions to be asked. Then it highlights the essentiality of pilot testing the prepared questionnaire and then sampling of the survey and how the collected data was analysed. Finally it showcases the several limitation of this research that was carefully measured. The following chapter will present the main findings and analysis of the data that was collected from the surveyed questionnaire.

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