Dr Madhuri Sawant - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Dr Madhuri Sawant

Journal of Heritage Tourism, 2024

The Ajanta Cave, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, has experienced a substantial increase in tourist ... more The Ajanta Cave, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, has experienced a substantial increase in tourist footfall over the past 25 years, significantly altering the site's microclimatic conditions and environmental equilibrium. This research investigates the multifaceted impact of heightened visitor numbers on cave-specific parameters, including temperature, humidity, CO2 concentrations, microbial activity, sunlight exposure, air quality, and suspended particulate matter. The findings provide insights into the intricate dynamics of these elements within the caves’ unique microclimate. This study highlights the potential threats posed by increased CO2 levels and specific microbial activities, and also underscores challenges associated with noise and particulate matter generated by tourism activities. The delicate balance between conserving the heritage site and accommodating the surge in tourist numbers is a central theme of the research. This work contributes significant insights to the discourse on sustainable heritage tourism, offering guidance for future endeavors aiming to harmonize preservation efforts with increased public engagement. The comprehensive survey analyzing visitor satisfaction and experiences for different attributes further enriches the understanding of the intricate relationship between heritage conservation and tourism dynamics.

International Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Systems, 2024

This paper aims to examine in detail the cultural heritage studies conducted in the context of In... more This paper aims to examine in detail the cultural heritage studies conducted in the context of India, with a specific focus on the intersection with tourism. The study conducts a bibliometric analysis of the journal articles on cultural heritage and tourism field in India in Web of Science (WoS) database. Bibliometric techniques such as bibliographic coupling, co-occurrence of author keywords, and cooccurrence of abstract terms were used. The study identifies 401 cultural heritage papers and 59 cultural heritage papers based on tourism in the Indian context for 1992-2023. Most of the analyzed papers are categorized under the Humanities Multidisciplinary category in WoS, focusing on Sustainable Cities and Communities in relation to the Sustainable Development Goals. In terms of cultural heritage studies, India, the United States, and England are the most productive nations, while in terms of tourism-based cultural heritage, India, Algeria, and Portugal are at the top. India, cultural heritage, tourism, and culture are among the top author keywords in the cultural heritage field. Therefore, that research fills this gap by performing a bibliometric analysis of publications on cultural heritage research articles in the Indian context published in the WoS database between 1992 and 2023.

Tourism review, May 8, 2024

Abstract Purpose– The purpose of this study is to investigate environmental factors impacting Aja... more Abstract Purpose– The purpose of this study is to investigate environmental factors impacting Ajanta mural deterioration, assessing global tourism effects and visitor conduct on cave environment and murals. This study recognizes stakeholder roles in conservation, providing data-driven insights to guide institutions like the Archaeological Survey of India. The objective is sustainable tourism practices to balance public access with mural preservation for future generations. Design/methodology/approach– Over 25 years, Ajanta Caves’ visitors doubled, impacting microclimatic conditions for ancient murals. This study assesses visitor impact to establish a regime and determine carrying capacity, considering temperature, humidity and pollution. Challenges arise from quantifying capacity because of variables. This research informs global tourism and heritage conservation, offering methodologies applicable to cultural sites worldwide. Findings– This study examines environmental impacts on mural preservation in Ajanta Caves, including humidity, microbial growth, sunlight exposure, air quality and tourist presence. Tourist influx escalates CO2 levels, directly endangering murals. Concerns about particulate matter, especially during visits, emphasize the need for data-driven decision-making and modern technology use to protect Ajanta Caves’ artwork, crucial because of its global significance and tourism-related vulnerabilities. Social implications– This study carries substantial social implications with a global resonance. The active engagement of the local community and tourism stakeholders in conserving and promoting the Ajanta Caves fosters empowerment, igniting a sense of pride, ownership and responsibility among residents and ensuring sustainable enjoyment of cultural heritage while safeguarding it for future generations. In addition, there will be socioeconomic benefits to local residents such as employment opportunities as tour operators, tour guides, hospitality staff, artisans and souvenir shopkeepers. Originality/value– This study integrates art conservation, environmental science, cultural heritage preservation and social aspects to address global tourism challenges. Focusing on a site of worldwide significance, this study offers practical strategies for artwork preservation, tourism management and environmental concerns. These recommendations provide real-world solutions applicable to heritage sites globally, bridging scientific analysis with social and cultural insights. Keywords -Tourism, Environmental impact, Heritage conservation, Community involvement, Ajanta caves

Preservation, digital technology & culture, Feb 19, 2024

Journal of cultural heritage management and sustainable development, Feb 15, 2024

Journal of tourism insights, Nov 1, 2023

The influence of brand image on consumer behaviour is widely recognized. It affects how tourists ... more The influence of brand image on consumer behaviour is widely recognized. It affects how tourists make pre-purchase decisions, making destinations with more substantial images more likely to be chosen. Additionally, the destination needs a strong brand image to maintain its position in the competitive business world. Product differentiation is crucial because Socotra Island, the research area, has a unique landscape, botanical, marine, and bird biodiversity, and cultural and heritage features and offers tremendously attractive destinations. Purposive random sampling was used to gather data from 410 international tourists at the sample locations for this study, which intends to examine how tourists perceive their expectations and experiences after visiting Socotra Island. Descriptive statistics and pair t-tests were used to analyze the data collected. The findings show that solid waste management, tourism infrastructure, and capacity building for tourism providers must be improved. The study has also suggested that tourism products, e.g., cultural heritage, Nature-based tourism, and Adventure sports, must be positioned and promoted aggressively.

e-review of tourism research, Jun 2, 2018

The aim of this research paper is to identify Generation Z travel profiles from 300 college stude... more The aim of this research paper is to identify Generation Z travel profiles from 300 college students who were born between 1993 and 1996 and are located in Belo Horizonte (Brazil). The results of a Principal Component Analysis (PCA) procedure indicate a great preference for sand & sea tourism. These results suggest that those destinations where historical, cultural and religious tourism offerings predominate, which are tourism types less desired by Generation Z individuals, must carry out an effective marketing plan to attract this generation of travelers.

Tourism recreation research, 2013

Practically, countries all over the world are fiercely competing for the lion’s share in tourism ... more Practically, countries all over the world are fiercely competing for the lion’s share in tourism earnings. The North has an edge over developing South. In fact, South suffers from ill-equipped infrastructure, undefined policies and planning practices which have resulted in unsustainable development. Conferees recommended researchbased planned strategies of development with conservation. Tourism makers are now on the alert so that future development may be sound and sensible instead of bad and ugly.

Edward Elgar Publishing eBooks, Aug 25, 2022

Euro-Asia Tourism Studies Journal

Tourism is one of the largest segments of the service industry. Over the years employee turnover ... more Tourism is one of the largest segments of the service industry. Over the years employee turnover has become a part of the tourism industry’s challenge to attract and retain new workforce. This paper explained the turnover issues of employees related to the travel agents and tour operators of Pune, a major commercial city in the State of Maharashtra in India. For this,417 employees were selected randomly from the approved Travel Agencies/Tour Operator Companies of Ministry of Tourism (MOT), International Air Transport Association (IATA) and Travel Agents Association of India (TAAI). Using SPSS, Under Factor Analysis, Principal Component Analysis method was implemented for the Dimension Reduction and Identification of the Significant Factors for turnover of employees. Results shows that training and team work, monetary issues & promotion, job hopping and lack of loyalty were the common factors perceived by the employees for their turnover. Suggestions are given to curb the turnover is...

Euro-Asia Tourism Studies Journal

The tourism industry being a people centric industry is highly dependent on human resources. The ... more The tourism industry being a people centric industry is highly dependent on human resources. The challenge faced by the industry today is not only to get the best human resources but also to retain them. Like other sectors travel agencies/ tour operator companies too are finding it difficult to recruit and retain quality staff. This research paper aims to study the current and future retention strategies followed by employers for satisfying employees of travel agencies/tour operators of Pune city which is in the state of Maharashtra in India. Primary sources comprised of data collected from 47 Human resource managers of travel agencies/tour operators using structured questionnaires. One-way ANOVA test was applied for doing the analysis. Future retention strategies were collected using interview schedule. The results show that the retention strategy of having anti-discrimination / anti-harassment policy for employees needs to be developed and implemented. Apart from the other suggest...

International Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Systems, 2018

The aim of this research was to study the online CSR reporting of selected hotel groups in India ... more The aim of this research was to study the online CSR reporting of selected hotel groups in India for investigating the most commonly performed CSR initiatives. For this study four Hotel Groups were selected after the online review of their corporate websites and also availability of online CSR reporting material. Qualitative Content Analysis was performed with help of Qualitative Data Analysis (QDA) miner software. Survey revelations of this research showed that the important areas of CSR initiatives of four selected hotel groups in India were Energy Management, Waste Management, Water Management, Sustainable Development, Diversity and Inclusion, Community Welfare, Environmental Awareness Education etc. The findings suggest that the hotel groups in India are more focusing on the environmental aspects and not focusing on the important areas such as conservation of Cultural and Natural heritage, Cleanliness Campaigns and Skill Development which would help to boost the sustainable tourism development in India. Keywords: Online CSR Reporting, Qualitative Content Analysis, Sustainable Tourism

International Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Systems, 2018

A heart attack also known as cardiac arrest, diversify various conditions impacting the heart and... more A heart attack also known as cardiac arrest, diversify various conditions impacting the heart and became one of the chief-reason for death worldwide over the last few decades. Approximately, 31% of total deaths globally are due to CVDs. It constitutes the pinnacle of chronic processes which involve complex interactions between risk factors which can and cannot be improved. Most of the instances or cases of cardiovascular diseases can be allocated to revisable risk factors where most of the instances are considered preventable. ML became the enhancing approach for the evolution of predictive models in health care industries and was decided to test various algorithms to check what extent their prediction scores estimate or ameliorate upon the results acquired. Researchers deploy various machine learning and data mining techniques over a set of enormous data of cardiovascular patients to attain the prediction for heart attacks before their occurrence for helping healthcare industries and professionals. This research comprises various Supervised ML classifiers like, Gradient Boosting, Decision Tree, Random Forest and Logistic Regression that have been used to deploy a model for Myocardial Infarction prediction. It uses the existing datasets from the Framingham database and others from the database of the UCI Heart repository. This research intends to ideate the prediction for probabilities of occurrence of a heart attack in the patients. These classifiers have been deployed in pipeline approach of machine learning to attain the prediction using both ways i.e., without optimizations and feature transformations as well as vice-versa. The results impersonate that the Gradient Boosting classifier is achieving the highest accuracy score in such a way that prediction used by our model is of binary form in where 1 means a chance of heart attack and 0 means no chance. Some of the most influential attributes are chest pain type among which the typical angina is the most influential and asymptotic chest pain is least, cholesterol level in which the level greater than 200mg/dl are more prone, increased heart rate, thal, and age. It is concluded that premature heart attack is preventable in 80% of the total cases just by using a healthy diet along with regular exercises and not using tobacco products also the person who drinks more than 5 glasses of water daily are less likely to develop attacks.

International Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Systems, Dec 31, 2019

International Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Systems, Jun 1, 2018

Internet marketing is an indisputable element of destination marketing plan and DMOs are extensiv... more Internet marketing is an indisputable element of destination marketing plan and DMOs are extensively engaging on with Internet. In this study, tourism policies of six important tourism states of India, namely Kerala, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka and Gujarat have been studied using content analysis. The findings revealed that policies are mainly focused on application of various digital media, technologies for information distribution and destination marketing and mobile apps. But, the area of budget & Human resource required for internet marketing and role of internet in market research are commonly overlooked. Comparative analysis on dichotomous scale observed that the state tourism policy of Uttar Pradesh has discussed strategies thoroughly which helps in policy implementation and assessment while tourism policy of Kerala needs urgent revision. Keywords: Indian State Tourism Policies, Internet Marketing, Content Analysis, Comparative Analysis

e-review of tourism research, 2018

The goal of this research note is to outline the procedure for developing a scale for measuring R... more The goal of this research note is to outline the procedure for developing a scale for measuring Risk Perception among tourists. The data were collected from snowball sample of visitors to a tourist destination at the beginning of the tourist season. The findings support the presence of 6-risk classification as against the seven types of risks highlighted in the previous literature. Findings further revealed a new risk criteria being identified as Exhaustion Risk.

Atna Journal of Tourism Studies, 2020

The willingness of Tourists to revisit a destination is strongly influenced by tourist satisfacti... more The willingness of Tourists to revisit a destination is strongly influenced by tourist satisfaction which plays a vital role in improving destination loyalty. The present research aims to study destination loyalty of the tourists based on their satisfaction at the world heritage site of Ellora caves in India.The sampling group of the study consisted of 60 tourists who visited Ellora Caves in July 2019. Pearson correlation analysis was applied for data analysis. The study concluded that there was a positive and strong affiliation between tourist satisfaction and destination loyalty. Constructive suggestions like adherence of strict rules & regulations and quality training programmes for service providers were given to improve tourist’s delight at Ellora Caves. The suggestions given are applicable for destination planners, and tourism authorities for future revisits.

Journal of Heritage Tourism, 2024

International Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Systems, 2024

Tourism review, May 8, 2024

Preservation, digital technology & culture, Feb 19, 2024

Journal of cultural heritage management and sustainable development, Feb 15, 2024

Journal of tourism insights, Nov 1, 2023

e-review of tourism research, Jun 2, 2018

Tourism recreation research, 2013

Edward Elgar Publishing eBooks, Aug 25, 2022

Euro-Asia Tourism Studies Journal

International Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Systems, 2018

International Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Systems, Dec 31, 2019

International Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Systems, Jun 1, 2018

e-review of tourism research, 2018

Atna Journal of Tourism Studies, 2020

Aims 1.To study the type of mechanism adopted and arrangements made for planning, co-ordination, ... more Aims
1.To study the type of mechanism adopted and arrangements made for planning, co-ordination, monitoring and implementation of scheme.
2. To assess the Socio-economic impacts of the schemes.
3. T o study the awareness about the tourism schemes by the locals.
4. To make recommendations for improvement and implementations of the tourism schemes

1. To study the social, cultural, economic and environmental impacts of rural tourism in selected... more 1. To study the social, cultural, economic and environmental impacts of rural tourism in selected villages.
2. To study the opportunities for self sustainability of selected villages.
3. To study the local community perception about attraction of the rural tourism in the selected villages

Introduction: Visit to historic sites is one of the oldest and major motivations for tourists all... more Introduction:
Visit to historic sites is one of the oldest and major motivations for tourists all over the world. Forts as a heritage tourism product play vital role in attracting lots of tourists with their historic significance, distinct architecture and unique locations. Forts have always fascinated tourists as they provide opportunity to explore historic civilization, architecture, defense mechanism along with due adventure and natural beauty in most of the cases. Further forts allow one to recall the major historic events and feel the pride attached to them. Maharashtra is blessed with over 350 forts and the only state which has four different categories of forts such as Hill forts, Land forts, Coastal forts and Island forts which can be developed as major tourist destinations which will provide an opportunity to preserve this glorious and valuable heritage for the coming generations as well as will bring socio-economic benefits to the region.
Despite of having huge and distinct inventory for developing Fort Tourism in the state of Maharashtra, it has to say that this legacy is in much neglected state by both the policy makers and other stakeholders. Most of the forts in Maharashtra are ruined and remaining are in poor state of conservation which failed to attract respective number of tourists and hence deprived coming generations from experiencing this valuable heritage and local communities from the socio – economic benefits attached with it. On the other hand Rajasthan has become one of the prominent destinations in the world attracting lakhs of domestic and foreign tourists every year with the help of effective management and marketing of its legacy of forts and palaces.

2. Research Methodology:

This research relied on both the sources of data i.e. Primary as well as Secondary. The primary data was collected with the help of two different sets of schedules for tourists visiting four sample forts of Rajasthan and eight sample forts of Maharashtra. Out of the eight forts selected from Maharashtra only four were considered for comparative study as categories of coastal and island forts are not available in Rajasthan. An Independent ‘t’ test to compare means to evaluate the difference between tourist satisfaction levels at forts of Maharashtra and Rajasthan. Also, interviews of concerned officials and experts were conducted. For secondary data different policies, books, study reports, journals etc. were referred.

Introduction of the Project Being one of the fastest growing industries, Tourism is playing vital... more Introduction of the Project
Being one of the fastest growing industries, Tourism is playing vital role in economies of many countries in the world. National Tourism policy of India, of the year 2002, defines tourism as an engine of growth and aiming high to achieve maximum and sustainable tourism growth in the country. Various states of the country are also planning their resources to bring in tourism development to attain maximum social and economic benefits.
Aurangabad district, tourism capital of Maharashtra, annually attracts millions of tourists and tourism is one of the integral parts of the local economy. But there is need ofevaluating the development of tourism industry in Aurangabad, which can be carried out by studying socio-economic impacts of tourism development at the district. Another evident problem intourism development is that the concentration of tourism economy is in Aurangabad city rather than contributing to rural areas. The present study focuses on the same issues and brings forward some constructive guidelines and suggestions.

Research Methodology
The research aimed to compare the socio-economic features of households who are involved in the tourism industry with the households who are not involved in tourism industry and to introspect into the role of the local community and the stakeholders in the planning and development. Seven Major tourist destinations are selected from Aurangabad district to conduct the survey and residents living around these destinations are selected as respondents for survey by using cluster sampling. To compare the features of groups, independent t test is applied. Interviews of officials of public and private tourism related organizations have been conducted.

The Book is an outcome of the National Seminar on Contemporary of Tourism Planning: Introspecting... more The Book is an outcome of the National Seminar on Contemporary of Tourism Planning: Introspecting Problems and Prospects organised on 21st & 22nd April 2013 by the department of Tourism Adminstration, Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Marathwada University, Aurangabad in collaboration with Indian Tourism Congress, funded by Indian Council of Social Science Research, New Delhi.

Following were the themes:
1. Tourism planning, development and policy
2. Tourism Marketing planning
3. Human resource planning
4. Tourism finance and economic planning
5. Contemporary tourism planning