Travelling is one of the common passions of most people. People travel to get pleasure or to take break from their daily busy schedule. Travelling helps people to refresh their mind and health as well. Even some researches state that travelling also help the consumers to associate with the success and accomplishment.
Different people travel for different purpose hence the destinations they choose for travelling often vary, for example: some traveler will choose a destination to avail the benefit of gaming opportunities or someone may select a place to visit a friend or to be familiarized with friendly local people. Generally the travelers choose any destination for travelling considering the following criterion:
- Scenic Beauty
- Hospitality of local people
- Availability of suitable accommodation
- Places to get relax and take rest
- Expenditure of the total travelling cost
- Historical and Cultural Interests
- Different Cuisine
- Gaming and Recreational facilities
- Shopping opportunities
- Climate for comfort
Majority of the domestic travel that took place in any country is for pleasure travel. According the United States Travel Data Center (USTDC) national travel survey, about half of the pleasure travelers travel to visit friends and relatives. People generally travel for pleasure, but apart from that they also travel for the following reasons:
- To visit friends and relatives
- For medical checkup or follow-up
- For study tour
- To enjoy nature
- To visit any national monuments or archeological sites
- For Religious purpose
- To participate in sports
- To enjoy particular Festivals of any country
- For Shopping
- Adventure
- Eco-tourism
- To visit tourist attractions
- To spend leisure time in holidays
Comparing to past years the number of travelers have markedly increased and these increasing number of travelers will leave a significant impact on tourism and flourish the tourist’s attractions among the adventure seeker.
There are some factors which contribute in the rise of travel in the whole world are as follows:
Longer Life Span: The life expectancy of people has increased which foster them to enjoy their leisure time more.
Flexible working hours: Flexible working schedule and longer weekends (ex- 10 hours in a day) in any job sector especially in the hospitality and tourism industries inspire the service holder to get free time from their schedule to travel.
Early retirement: In recent years, people are being given the opportunity to retire at age 55. The early retirement allow them enough time to travel in their retired period.
Greater use of travel: Today it become more convenient to travel on holidays and weekends due to easy mode of travel which ensure hassle free travel with less travelling time.
Tendency to take shorter, more frequent trips: Now people are more smart and intelligent which lead them to take shorter but more frequent rip, mini vacations since it is more economical and convenient rather than long tours. Generally European take much longer vacations than North Americans.
Increase in the standard of living: Increased amount of income of middle class people in the developing countries has increased their standard of livings which lead them to enjoy life more than previous time and except travelling what could be better option.
Expansion of Tourism: Ecotourism, sustainable tourism and heritage tourism are bringing light on to the tourist attraction which increase the need for tourism among the travelers.
Increased Promotional Activities: Government has taken implementation for raising the importance of tourism not only as an economic force, but also as social cultural forces of increasing significance, hence the people are also becoming updated about the particulars of tourism. The private sector also implement the promotion and development of tourism to attract tourist.
Advancement of technology: Availability of information through internet related to tourism, travel, name of the tourists attractions to visit, name of archeological sites, gaming opportunities, shopping facilities. Now travelers also can book their trips via Airline’s websites which save their time and money both.
Some other reasons behind growth of tourism are:
- If countries come with more bilateral signing with each other than people of those countries may easily get visa and visit each other countries comfortably.
- Growth in Employment opportunities.
- Increased number of travel agencies and home based travel agents.
- Nowadays people don’t need to wait for printed air ticket. Purchasing ticket from online or through mobile phone is easy and e-ticket is enough to travel anywhere in most of the cases.
- Employment of Automatic airport check-ins.
- Establishment of alternative cruises.
- Increased concern for the health and safety of travel and tourism for travelers inspire them more to travel.
