Exploring attitudes of Indian students toward holidaying in New Zealand using the leisure motivation scale

Abstract

This paper suggests that India will be the next important tourist generating country to emerge after the People's Republic of China, and seeks to provide some information on a key segment of future overseas tourists, the well educated. The paper reports the results of a study of over 1,000 Indian students at four Indian universities. The study uses the Leisure Motivation Scale of Beard and Ragheb (1983) and replicates a finding of four dimensions, albeit with a modification relating to the intellectual and challenge factors. The destination used for the study was New Zealand for a number of reasons. At the time of the study the New Zealand Prime Minister had recently visited India, Tourism New Zealand had opened offices in Mumbai and a, then current, popular Bollywood film had been produced in New Zealand. Attitudes toward New Zealand were found to be positive, and some evidence is provided for the possible development of more urban based tourism in New Zealand to avoid the environmentally damaging aspects associated with more traditional adventure tourists in that country. The paper ends with various recommendations and comments.