Editorial Board

A Refereed Monthly International Journal of Management

Rural Tourism Development in Rajasthan: An Empirical Study of Factors Affecting Tourist Satisfaction in Rural Rajasthan

Priyanka Bhaskar

Assistant Professor,

School of Commerce and Management,

Central University of Rajasthan, Ajmer (India)

Abstract

Rural tourism takes place outside of cities, usually in the countryside and is a great way to relax and rejuvenate for emotional & mental wellbeing of the people. Nearly 70% of the people in India live in rural regions. Rural tourism directly helps in boosting the economy of rural areas by creating opportunities for businesses, income and jobs. It helps keep arts and crafts alive, builds infrastructure and protects the environment and cultural heritage in rural areas towards a sustainable future for generations. India is struggling to figure out how to use rural tourism as a tool for rural development in order to improve economic growth and economic development. The goal of the study is to find out if Rajasthan's tourism industry has reached its full potential or to judge the success of rural tourism in Rajasthan and its subsequent marketing strategy in terms of creating jobs and improving the socio-economic status of the local community. The paper also talks about the role played by important factors like safety and security, the host's attitude, road transport, lodging and boarding facilities, communication and language, the natural environment, entertainment, tourist products, pricing for tourist products and tourist satisfaction in the growth of rural tourism in Rajasthan. The study also discusses how rural tourism in Rajasthan is an essential source of employment for locals. The goal of this analysis is to look at the different things that might affect the quality of rural tourism services in Rajasthan right now. The paper concluded that tourism is not a perfect solution for all the rural issues, but it has a variety of quality opportunities that can help with rural development. Rural Tourism can be one of various alternatives that people in rural regions may examine if they have a favorable attitude towards tourists in order to improve production and revenue growth.

Keywords: Tourist Satisfaction, Rural Development, Economic Growth, Employment Generation, Sustainable Development

Introduction

Indian tourism has become so popular because of its creativity and hospitality, which give value to the tourists; hence, it is among the most preferred destinations in the world. Since ancient times, guests have been regarded in such high esteem that we say "Atithi Devo Bhav". A socio-economic magnitude in India needs to be considered in terms of the performance and potential of India’s tourism industry. Tourism has been given so much importance in urban and rural parts of India that it has become the most vibrant and promising multibillion-dollar service industry. "The overall contribution of the travel and tourism industry to India’s GDP is projected to increase from Rs 154.24 lakh crore (US$ 234.03 billion) in 2017 to Rs 3.05 lakh crore (US$ 492.21 billion) in 2028" (https://www.ibef.org, Indian Tourism and Hospitality Industry Analysis, 2020). "The complete tourism business earnings in India were forecast to reach US$ 50 billion by 2022. Among 185 countries, the contribution of the travel and tourism sector to GDP in 2018 was third and according to the WEF Competitiveness Report 2019, India scored 34th. In 2019, the tourism sector provided jobs to 4.2 crore people, which was 8.1% of total employment and it is expected that by 2028, 5.23 crore new jobs will be created" (https://wttc.org/Research/Economic-Impact).

Tourism and the environment are closely connected, both need to be taken care of at the same time before a tourism model can be scaled up in any place. The local economy is how people in rural areas make a living, which helps the economy of the whole country grow. Diversifying what people do in rural areas can help the local economy grow. Tourism is seen as a major contributor to this growth. Rural tourism was defined by the Department of Tourism in 1994 as a many-sided activity that happens in an environment that is far from highly urbanized areas. The report of the Tourism Ministry of India defined rural tourism as "a practice of tourism that showcases rural life, culture and heritage in rural areas, benefiting the locals economically and socially and enabling interaction between tourists and locals for a better and more enriching tourism experience". The Government of England defines it as visits far from the home to locations outside the main town in rural areas. This includes casual or business trips and trips to see friends and relatives (Dashper, 2015). Assistant Professor at the Indian Institute of Management, Lucknow, Rajesh K. Aithal, says that in rural tourism, the guests enjoy the distinct village life and its cuisine and culture through event participation. This industry is characterized by small-scale businesses established in agricultural or forest-dominated areas. The rural areas’ attractiveness for recreation and tourism purposes can be related to the image that rural areas hold. The significance of the rural tourism market is mainly dependent on every country’s resource, market, infrastructure, image and the presence of various tourism products (Payal, Saxeena, 2019). Rural Rajasthan possesses an eminent lifestyle with scalable bandwidth through various business avenues. Different villages have their own types of homes, customs, cuisine, attire and celebrations. The whole of Rajasthan possesses diverse folk dances and folk music. All villages have their craftsmen, who practice ancient skills. Monthly fairs and festivals in these villages influence tourists (Singh & Kumar, 2022). Condensed religious credence and principles are spliced deep into their daily lives. The houses are painted and decorated with stones and mirrors; and the furniture is made from carvings. Women here wear colorful dresses and ornaments; they also wear embroidered footwear.

Researchers discovered that the rural tourism industry is one of the key areas for economic growth and development after doing extensive research and analysis of the literature, but it was not stated why or how. The researcher has observed that there were many more studies concerned with tourist satisfaction and government efforts to improve the status of the same, but rural tourism was not covered in those studies (Wilson et al., 2001). On a national level, various studies have been done, but at the state level, studies of rural tourism were not the focus area of the researchers. They have found a research gap in rural tourism and its impact on the socio-economic growth of states. The study was done to reveal the current situation of rural tourism in Rajasthan. To find the significant factors that are affecting the satisfaction of the tourist towards rural tourism in Rajasthan.

The main goal of this paper is to learn about the role played by important factors like safety and security, the host's attitude, road transport, lodging and boarding facilities, communication and language, the natural environment, entertainment, tourist products, pricing for tourist products and tourist satisfaction in the growth of rural tourism in Rajasthan. The purpose of this paper is to determine whether or not there is a substantial link between visitor satisfaction and various factors influencing rural tourism in Rajasthan.

Objective of Study

• To study the relationship between different factors which affects the tourism industry and rural tourism in Rajasthan.
• To determine the correlation between the satisfactions of travelers and rural tourism who visited Rajasthan.

Hypothesis of Study:

Ho: There is no significant relationship between the Rural Tourism and Tourist Satisfaction in Rural Rajasthan

H₁: There is significant relationship between the Rural Tourism and Tourist Satisfaction in Rural Rajasthan

Rural Tourism in Rajasthan

Rural Tourism is playing a significant role in the global scenario and particularly in Rajasthan. Previously “Padharo Mhare Desh” was the slogan used by Rajasthan tourism but after 2016 the new slogan was introduced is “Jaane Kya Dikh Jaye”. For both domestic and international tourists Rajasthan is among the popular destination in history of India as it is backed up by its rich heritage, historical palace and forts, arts and culture, scenic beauty, music, royalty cuisine and many more. According to the research every third foreign tourists visits the India and also travel comes to visit Rajasthan.

Table 1.1: Tourists visiting in Rajasthan from Year 2011 to 2021

Source: Annual Progress Report 2018-19 and 2020-21 Tourism Department Rajasthan   www.tourism.rajasthan.gov.in

Fig. 1.1: Basic Structure and Concept of Rural Tourism

Source: FICCI study on Development Perspective on Rural Tourism in India, By A.F.Ferguson and Co. December, 2011

Rural tourism is undertaken in rural settings. The ways and techniques of farming and the local lifestyle are the key attractions. Tourists take an active part in the daily farm activities and experience the real rural life. The local meals and fairs help the tourists get familiar with the rural lifestyle. Tourism could be experienced through festivals and religious events. Rural tourism helps tourists learn about the rural way of life in rural areas.

Review of Literature

The Indian economy is primarily based on agriculture. It has a lot of unpaid workers in the agriculture sector. Tourism will also help to solve this dilemma. Tourism industry is indeed a labour-intensive sector (Deka, Pachuau and Lalmalsawmzauva, 2012). Being a highly labor industry it includes skilled labor, semi-skilled and unskilled labor too. Rural areas are facing new challenges but along with that they have the opportunities which can be uncashed. It has also been accepted that farming does not play a vital role in contribution to GDP formation and employment, so farming is not considered as a backbone of rural economies. This seems reasonable to encourage farmers and rural people to respond to these new developments that are creative and to reshape their employment. In many areas, farmers will raise their income base as rural entrepreneurs, establish emerging innovations and discover new business opportunities in rural areas. Educational farms, agri-tourism, election tourism and product and product sales are the sources of earnings for the local people. Innovation acts as a mechanism in which awareness, inspiration and values of farmers and rural entrepreneurs play a significant role (Knickel et al., 2009; Payal, & Saxeena, 2022). Study was done on economic impact of rural tourism in Madhya Pradesh. GDP growth was taken into consideration to check the economic impact like infrastructure development, employment growth, income generation, etc. For the collection of data secondary source like various journal, government publications and websites and research papers were used. Data collection period was 2008 to 2017. To test the impact of rural tourism in Madhya Pradesh regression analysis was done. Researchers discovered a clear link between employment and rural tourism. The study shows that rural tourism has a favorable economic impact on Madhya Pradesh's Gross Domestic Product. Rural tourism is lucrative for both domestic and foreign tourism. It also attracts the foreign currency which is good for India’s capital formation. More of government initiatives required from to boost rural tourism on the international ground (Sharma, 2019). Verma & Jain (2018) research work focuses on importance of rural tourism for the local populace as it provides employment and work as a source of income for them. The article also focused on the significance of rural tourist development in ensuring a sustainable environment. The objectives of the paper are how rural tourism affects their life, local people’s strategies in restoration and preservation of the village cultural heritage, how much further opportunities and challenges to face for the tourism development in the rural region. Both positive and negative impacts were observed during the research.  Quantitative research technique is used for the study with 200 sample size for the research in the year 2016. The questionnaire was prepared on Likert-type scale. It was suggested that Government should take initiatives for the rural tourism development which will lead to sustainable development. The paper concluded that the rural tourism was playing a big role to provide a social and economic benefit to the villagers. In the last 10 years around 25 % growth rate is seen in the tourism industry, directly or indirectly it is the most revenue generating industry and it will give employment to people. During the study it was also found that rural tourism markets have a capacity of Rs 4300 Crores per annum. Rural tourism is also famous and growing beyond Indian domestic boundaries. Sawant (2017) paper reflected the key impact of tourism on the social and economic aspects of the residents in places offering tourism opportunities to the others. There is realistic comparison done on earnings between families tapping on tourism as a potential revenue generator against those who have not been considerate about the same as a method to earn or supplement their income. The present study hovers around Aurangabad, Maharashtra catering the evolution and future of tourism landscape in the district. The study was complemented by Cluster Sampling method followed by survey method used for data collection to statistically arrive to a conclusion on the proposed hypothesis. As final viewpoint of the survey, the observations about the pros and cons of tourism expansion in the region of Aurangabad are pondered upon and valid suggestions for sustainability are elaborated. Kapur (2016) has shared intrinsic details about the inception and evolution of the spirit of hosting tourists in India with detailing of changes in the approach of pre & post-independence era of the country. It has also been showcased post physical visits in the rural regions of Maharashtra and Uttarakhand that the nation carries rich numbers of artisans and unique items of cultural and folk importance which can be taken to the world through promotion of tourism in their areas. A detail has also been provided on hot tourism can be an instrument of relevance in bridging the gap between urban and non-urban India to create a more cohesive and harmonious nation. A strategic framework has been iterated to arrest practical challenges in the eco system to enable rural tourism to prosper at unprecedented rates. Ashutosh (2016) have cited the research done on the changes in the pattern of non-urban tourism owing to changes in the macroeconomic footprint with valid data points regarding the lifestyle related changes in the region of Jaipur, Rajasthan. The paper also validates the congruence of two paradoxical cultures by means of a common tourism avenue where an urban population gets to interact with the people of rural background and a true cultural exchange happens in real time. The paper emphasizes on the need of concrete government and socio-economic facilities in terms of both policies and laws to foster the mushrooming of multiple tourist spots in rural areas, as in the present state the sector is flourishing in an unorganized manner which might be detrimental in the longer scheme of things. Dani and Rawal (2019) Tourists’ impressions of food and beverage service characteristics are considered very important in rural areas to affect their happiness and behavioral goals. Nowadays, mostly visitors are looking at the quality of foodservice facilities offered by restaurants. This study was focused on the observation and feedback of 100 tourists in Nanital through personal interviews and standardized questionnaires, comparing 18 questions of a Likert scale utilizing various statistical instruments, from which study infer the level of tourist satisfaction and quality of food and beverage services. The finding of the paper says the restaurant are less in number in rural areas, but the owner of the restaurant uses organic and new produce to keep it nutritious and quality of food for the tourist. The weak state of social, technological and roads facilities in rural areas which is a big hindrance in the growth of rural tourism in Nainital. Kachniewska (2015) advantages the rural tourism offers for improving the living standard of locals living in the rural or village areas were the main focus of this research. 36 villages were considered for the study in Poland in last 20 years to judge the relationship between rural tourism and sustainable development. The study was completed using both quantitative and qualitative data. To collect primary data methods used includes in-depth interviews, direct observations and round table discussions with DMO (Destination Management Organizations) leaders, members and local community people of villages. The period of study was 2009 to 2014.The study explains about the ignorance at the planning stage may result into negative thoughts about rural tourism development which will leads to negative results on the prospect development of rural tourism in Poland. These unfavorable effects damage the economic, social benefits. So, for the sustainable development of villages proper strategies should be formulated and executed with the help of local communities. Streimikiene and Bilan (2015) paper explains about the supply and demand factors for the rural tourism development. These supply and demand factors include the rural tourism resource availability, innovating approach of rural area and motives of consumers. The study also focuses upon the various theories of rural tourism development and the major drivers of village/rural tourism. Rural tourism development is affected by number of factors like available resources, infrastructure development in the rural region, visitor’s behavior, motives and perceptions, government initiatives, legal environment are among them. Different theories were part of discussion in the paper. The author concluded that rural tourism development is integration of local community participation, service suppliers and the visitors which will help the socio-economic development of the rural region. Sanagustin-Fons et al. (2018) stated that natural, heritage and cultural resources in villages make it unique which attracts tourists from different parts of the world. This study was done in the Cinco Villas Region which is situated in Aragon, Spain. The aim of the research was to know the social and economic perception regarding the rural tourism in Spain. For that analysis theoretical approach was used which was the mixture of qualitative and quantitative tools. Primary and Secondary data of the last 10 years was used for the study. The area of the study included 31 villages with 52 important population centers. IAEST (Aragonese Statistics Institute) was an institutional database secondary source for the documentary analysis. Political leaders, businesspeople and local people were interviewed. Pros and cons rural tourism on the socio-economic, cultural and environment was also part of the study. The researcher found that rural tourism has a positive impact in last 10 years. Government needs to take more initiatives for the further development in the rural tourism. Private players and businesspeople especially women are more actively participating and are coming as a committed entrepreneur. Li, Ryan and Cave (2016) the study was done on village name Qiyunshan in China. The objective of the study the role of corporate capital in rural tourism development in Qiyunshan village. The focus of paper to examine the interest of community stakeholders. The study was done on the basis of research done between years 2009 to 2015. Here different government policies were considered for analysis and interpretation.  Discussion about Xi and Li regime was done and taken into consider checking the transition towards major rural tourism destinations. Demographics of rural people consider taken as an important parameter for the research. An economic, social and cultural benefit about rural tourism in China was main focus. Development of pro-poor rural tourism policies by the government have been done in the study. Kumra (2008) In order to increase the quality of rural tourism services, three criteria must be met: the happiness of villagers; the happiness of tourists; and the reliability of procedures. Service level disparities can be bridged by acknowledging the opportunities of the villagers. For the Government to resolve the problems of efficiency of rural tourism services successfully and to quantify consistency, four considerations must be taken into account when deciding on a tourism quality strategy: the fundamental nature of research, awareness and sharing of information; the need for qualified human capital, driven by medium and long-term prospects. It is important to include the rural masses in internal management by integrating input from villagers into the enhancement of tourism products of process efficiency, by putting villager’s team members or by connecting them to the company’s information system. Rural women should be motivated to become a reform agent; this further empowers rural women and their inclusion in decision-making processes.

Research Methodology

 Data Collection

Data collection for research mainly done with the usage of primary data and along with that secondary source of data was used. Research conducted in relation to the topic is mainly primary studies and the conclusion is based on the surveyed result and analysis. Primary data collection is done with the help of questionnaire method, personal interview method, survey method. Secondary data for the purpose of the literature review is collected from books, journals, e-sources, articles, etc. 

Sampling Technique

The sample is collected from the major districts where population is more comparatively to other districts of Rajasthan and tourist’s frequency is higher. So, the researcher has selected the major 10 district with the rural surroundings. These are namely-

Out of 33 Districts Rajasthan - 10 Districts were selected for the study which includes 17 villages. Pushkar (Ajmer District), Deshnok, Gajner, Bhandasar (Bikaner District), Samode Village (Jaipur District), Kuldhara (Jaisalmer District), Mandawa Village, Nawalgarh, Laxmangarh (Jhunjhnu District), Chandelao Village, Bishnoi Village (Jodhpur District), Kuchaman Village, Khimsar Village, Bijaipur Village (Nagaur District), Ghanerao, Ranakpur Village (Pali District), Kumbhalgarh Village (Rajasmand District) were the villages chosen for the study.

The total sample comprises 500 tourist respondents. For the study of rural tourism various rural tourist points and spots were visited by the researcher for the collection. The tourist spots were the collectively known as study area that includes all rural tourist places of these districts with nearby places too.

 Questionnaire Description

The questionnaire is meant for the tourists. It has 31 statements grouped in 10 constructs derived with the help of the factor analysis. The 10 constructs include: Safety and security, Host’s attitude, Road transport, Lodging and food, Communication and language, Natural environment, Entertainment, Tourist products, Pricing on tourist products, Tourist satisfaction on various parameters.

Due to erratic terrorism encounters on tourism destinations, tourists are apprehensive about tourism in Rajasthan. Rural tourism can be promoted if tourists feel they are safe and professional agencies are there to provide them safety. Hosts attitude is also a major factor that depends on promoting tourism in rural areas. These include local shopkeepers and their staff’s behavior and attitude towards tourists. How effectively local shopkeepers and staff members of hotels are responsive towards the tourist’s complaints? Lack of proper conveyance is a major challenge in up scaling of any rural tourism in Rajasthan; it’s very difficult to find good taxi services in rural spots along with the decent attitude of local drivers and driving staffs. Absence of parking can affect the tourism and unsafe allocation of vehicle parking’s on many roads can cause accidents.  Availability of regional and continental food can make them happy and delighted. Proper hygienic food should be available to them in rural tourist’s spots. Different rank of hotels should also be available with standard quality of accommodation in rural areas. Good quality food, standard level of hygiene and sanitation are the important factor in rural tourism development. Communication and language plays very vital role in the development of rural tourism but in rural Rajasthan there is weak communication facility, as local residents language get changed from one spot to another. Non-availability of written material about the rural tourist’s spots is a big problem faced by tourists in rural Rajasthan. Depriving from telecommunication services can cause the tourists a sense of isolation and they feel being detached from their near and dear ones. Thus, they consider it as a basic necessity and want proper internet accessibility. Villages are full of natural environment with neat, clean and fresh air which is preferred by the tourists. Even the local residents are careful about in protecting the natural environment in their villages. Weather of Rajasthan is hot and humid thus availability of some air conditioned vehicles should be there so that tourists can easily move from one destination to the other. Rural tourism offers the recreational facilities to all children, youngsters and old age, the whole family can enjoy together at a one place. Flora and Fauna offers a comprehensive package for the recreation needs of the entire family. Adequate availability of shopping facilities, nightlife and rural cultural activities also enhance tourism in rural areas. Rural destinations are full of festivals & shopper’s paradise and historical spots which attracts tourists. In rural destinations pricing on tourist’s products are comparatively low which is a positive practice to increase tourism in rural areas.

he question in the questionnaire contains the 5-point Likert scale based on “Strongly Disagree” to “Strongly Agree” to know whether the questions are reliable to measure the latent variables. The reliability of the questionnaire was checked using the Cronbach’s Alpha.

The Cronbach's Alpha was run on a sample size of 15 questionnaires meant for the tourist.

The result of the Cronbach’s Alpha for the tourist questionnaire.

Reliability Statistics

The value of alpha is .805 which shows that the questionnaire is reliable.

 Analysis and Interpretation

The following section cover questionnaire related with the satisfaction of tourists who visited India and especially rural Rajasthan is gathered from self-administered questionnaire, below is the demographic profile of the respondents. 

    Figure 1.2: Demographic Description of 500 Tourists

    Sample Adequacy Test

The Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin measures sampling adequacy for each variable in the model and for the complete model. The high value near to 1.0 indicates that a factor analysis may be applied to the data and the value less than 0.5 is shows the unfits of factor analysis for the data.  The below table (5.24) shows the KMO value for the current data is 0.678, which shows the positive relationship between that variable and the factor analysis can have applied.  

Table -1.2: KMO and Bartlett's Test^*

*Based on correlations

Bartlett’s Test of Sphericity 

Taking a 95% level of Significance, α = 0.05 

The p-value (Sig.) of .000 < 0.05, therefore the Factor Analysis is valid 

The Kaiser-Meyer Olkin (KMO) and Bartlett's Test measure of sampling adequacy was used to examine the appropriateness of Factor Analysis. The approximate of Chi-square is 4076.556 with 499 degrees of freedom, which is significant at 0.05 Level of significance. The KMO statistic of 0.702 is also large (greater than 0.50). Hence Factor Analysis is considered as an appropriate technique for further analysis of the data.  Eigen values (Select those components with Eigen Values >= 1) 

The initial components are the numbers of the variables used in the Factor Analysis. However, not all the 31 variables would be retained. In the present research only the 8 factors will be extracted by combining the relevant variables. The Eigen values are the variances of the factors. The total column contains the Eigenvalue. The first factor always accounts for the most variance and hence has the highest Eigen values. The next factor accounts for as much of the left-over variance as it can and the same will continue till the last factor. The percentage of variance represents the percent of total variance accounted by each factor and the cumulative percentage gives the cumulative percentage of variance account by the present and the proceeding factors. In the present research the first 8 factors explain 79.653% of variance.

SPSS OUTPUT

Table 1.3: Total Variance Explained

Extension Method: Principal Component Analysis.

On the basis of Varimax Rotation with Kaiser Normalization, 8 factors have been extracted. Each factor is constituted of all those variables that have factor loadings greater than 0.5. 8 factors were derived from the 31 variables used in the study. These 8 extracted factors explained 79.653% of the variability relationship between the tourism satisfaction and rural tourism in rural Rajasthan.

Table 1.4: Rotated Component Matrix^*

Extraction Method: Principal Component Analysis 

Rotation Method: Varimax with Kaiser Normalization

The matrix given above presents the correlation of the variables with each of the derived factors. To spot the variables, integrated in each factor, the variable with the value maximum in each row is chosen to be part of the factor. The values have been high lightened in each of the rows to group the 31 variables into 8 core factors. We excluded 2 statement* from the total 31 variables because of the negative loading throughout the 8 newly constructed factors after rotation. 

*Local shopkeepers and their staff are responsive to tourist’s complaints

*Taxi services are adequate in rural spots

Thus, after rotation the factor one accounts for 12.399% of the variance, factor 2 accounts for the 12.015% of the variance, factor 3 – 11.919%, factor 4 – 11.230%, factor 5 accounts for the total 11.172% of the variance, factor 6 accounts for the total 5.824% of the variance, factor 7 accounts for the 5.770 % of the total variance and the last factor 8 accounts for the 5.770% of the variance.

Table 1.5: Newly constructed factors after rotation

Result of the Factor Analysis 

Table 1.6: Results of the Factor Analysis

Here the researcher has used the regression analysis because of two reasons Firstly, it works best at the time of lack of multicollinearity and it is shown by the Variance Inflation Factor (VIF). VIF should not exceed 10.  Secondly, to determine the importance of each factor to tourist satisfaction in rural tourism in Rajasthan, the multiple regression analysis is conducted based on earlier findings of the factor analysis.  Here the overall tourist satisfaction was taken as the dependent variable.  The results of the multiple regression analysis show that all 8 factors significantly affect tourist satisfaction in rural tourism in Rajasthan. Natural Environment being the most important one followed by the entertainment, experience & satisfaction, host attitude, staying, product & pricing, safety & security, road transport, communication.

Table 1.7: Regression Results: Factors Affecting Tourist Satisfaction in Rural Rajasthan

Adjusted R2 = 0.633

Durbin-Watson = 1.981

*p < 0.10,**p < 0.05 and ***p < 0.01

The Durbin–Watson (DW) has always between 0 and 4 and the values of 1.5 < DW<2.5 show that there is no autocorrelation in the data G.D. Garson (2012) and all VIF values in this study are less than 10.  The t value of the factors shows the level of satisfaction of the tourist of Rural Rajasthan. It could be seen that most of the tourist are highly satisfied with the natural Environment of the Rural Rajasthan as the t value for this factor is highest with (5.781). Secondly they are satisfied with the entertainment provided them on their visit in rural Rajasthan t value – 5.781, experience & satisfaction during the visit scored third on level of satisfaction with 3.871 value. The attitude of the host towards the tourist scored IV in term of satisfaction.  The other factors like food quality, staying in hotels, transportation and safety & security scored very low in comparison to other factors. As it is found that the tourist faces the problem in regard to eating items, hygiene, transportation facility and safety also becomes the major issues while they are travelling in rural Rajasthan. The language in the form of communication has been seen as the major barrier as variety of language in rural Rajasthan.

The result from the t test shows that as p < α, we therefore reject the null hypothesis H0 and accept the alternate hypothesis (H1) that there lies statistically significant relationship between the Rural Tourism and Tourist Satisfaction.

 Limitation of the Study

Rajasthan has the biggest geographical area in India and the sixth largest population. This, along with linguistic variations, resulted in an investment of a lot of time and resources in getting people to attempt the survey and provide a candid response to it. The no availability of public transport in multiple rural tourist locations led the researcher to bank on private transport, which added to the extensive cost of fetching relevant data. Because of the cost of traveling by private transport, the researcher decided not to distribute and collect the questionnaires personally in their subsequent second or third visits. The scalability and digital integration roadmap are missing presently to lead rural tourism spots to become a commercially successful industry and preferred employment generator. The Google navigation failed to lead to the new, upcoming rural tourism spots. The researcher feels that they can become commercially successful industries and revenue generators only if they provide a proper map, route and signboards to the tourists traveling to those specific tourist spots. Data collection of questionnaires was hampered by illiteracy in rural areas. Most villagers could not fill up the questionnaire due to illiteracy, so data collection became a bit difficult. Their answers were recorded on their mobile phones, so the researcher could fill up the questionnaire on their behalf. Local communities were hesitating while giving answers like "local dhaba wala, hotel owners, guides and other residents," as they did not want to disclose their income from rural tourism. Due to time constraints, certain tourists could not fill up the questionnaire as they do not prefer to visit Rajasthan in the extreme hot months, i.e., mainly in May, June and July. Most of the foreign tourists were not interested in filling up the questionnaire as they were in a different mood, hence they did not take it seriously.

 Findings and Result Discussion

The rural tourism is affected by the various factors like safety, security and the foods and other factors.  The result shows the high level of satisfaction of the tourist of Rural Rajasthan. It could be seen that most of the tourist are highly satisfied with the natural environment of the rural Rajasthan. Secondly they are satisfied with the entertainment provided them on their visit in rural Rajasthan experience & satisfaction during the visit scored third on level of satisfaction. The attitude of the host towards the tourist scored fourth in term of satisfaction. The other factors like foods, staying in hotels, transportation and safety & security scored very low in comparison to other factors. As it is found that the tourist faces the problem in regard to eating items, hygiene, transportation facility and safety also becomes the major issues while they are travelling in rural Rajasthan. The language in the form of communication has been seen as the major barrier as of the variety of language in rural Rajasthan.

The result shows that tourists are highly satisfied with the natural environment of the Rural Rajasthan as the t value for this factor is highest with (7.890). Secondly they are satisfied with the entertainment provided them on their visit in rural Rajasthan t value (5.781), experience & satisfaction during the visit scored third on level of satisfaction with (3.871) value. The attitude of the host towards the tourist scored IV in term of satisfaction.  The other factors like food, staying in hotels, transportation and safety & security scored very low in comparison to other factors. As it is found that the tourist faces the problem with regards to eating items, hygiene, transportation facility and safety also becomes the major issues while they are travelling in rural Rajasthan. The process output of multiple regression analysis evidently prove that all 8 factors are impacting tourist satisfaction in state’s rural tourism program. Natural environment being the most important one followed by the entertainment, experience & satisfaction, host attitude, staying, product & pricing, safety & security, road transport, communication. The result showed that rural tourism has a great impact upon the rural Rajasthan. The analysis shows that natural environment, entertainment, experience and satisfaction, host attitude, comfort in the staying, newness and the attractive products, affordable pricing and the safety and security in the rural Rajasthan and the communication are the impacting elements with respect to tourist satisfaction post the rural tourism.

Conclusion

Rural tourism has a significant effect on promoting entrepreneurship. Rural tourism helps in increasing the income and employment for the rural natives with the new sources based upon their skills and the local arts. The rural tourism helps with social and community development. It also helps in creating sustainable development and provides an improvement in socio economic structure of the rural areas by setting a vision for the youth and curbing migration. The findings showed that the rural natives of Rajasthan have more income with the increasing number of tourists. It was also discovered that tourism provided individuals with an opportunity to generate income and respondents had adequate savings for their future needs. The performance of all potential tourists in every country will rely very much on the ability to have measures in place that will securely place a finger on the pulse of rural tourist activities and mitigate the risk for environmental and social hazards, as well as the health of the environment and local economies. Rural tourism is still under thrived due to the cyclical nature of tourist seasons and underdeveloped ecosystem around customer attractions. It is therefore of utmost importance to create well planned annual itineraries catering different local festivities along with seasonal delicacies as a part of the exclusive tourist attraction events. However, single-year activities have minimal future benefits for the local populations. Rural Tourism blended along with local vocational activities can help in improving the social and economic well-being of the rural population. Diligent Focus put together on Rural Tourism with other agriculture and ancillary activities can help in improving the financial status of rural population. Some countries like Singapore and Thailand are mainly thriving on tourism, which generates heavy revenue for these countries.

References:

1. F.Ferguson and Co. (2011). FICCI study on Development Perspective on Rural Tourism in India. (http://ficci.in/spdocument/23099/FICCI-report-TIM-2019.pdf).
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