Why do Tourists Visit a Himalayan Destination? Motivation, Barrier and Facilities Preference

Abstract

Tourist destination choices are a mix of push and pull motivations along with travel barriers. Indian Himalayas has a significant role in attracting tourists but is limited to already explored destinations. In the Western Himalayas, Shimla is among globally famous tourist destinations. The study area was Shimla, and data were collected from 299 tourists. Shimla was the summer capital of British India. Presently this city is the capital of the North-Indian state of Himachal Pradesh, India. The data collection tool, i.e., the structured questionnaire, had questions about the demographic profile, push-pull factors, travel barriers to visiting Srinagar, and facilities preferences. The results were interpreted to explore the profile of tourists visiting a Himalayan destination, i.e., Shimla. It was found that generation Y tourists have a majority among tourists who visit Shimla, and pull factors were nature, adventure, and culture. While, security and distance (both geographical & cultural) are travel barriers that are absent in parallel with Shimla. In the case of facility preferences, two groups emerged, one with a preference for a cultural experience and the other group lacking the same. The facilities considered were the type of accommodation, transportation, and food.