SMART JOURNAL OF BUSINESS MANAGEMENT STUDIES VOL. 6 NO. 1 PAPER 7
 
INDIA’S DESTINATION IMAGE - EVALUATION OF ITS UNIQUE SELLING POINT (USP): AN EMPIRICAL STUDY
 
Sampad Kumar Swain* and K. Mohan**
*   Lecturer, Department of Tourism, School of Management, Pondicherry University, Puducherry-605014., India
** Professor & Head, Dept. of International Studies, School of Management, Pondicherry University, Puducherry-605014, India
 
The present paper offers a brief outline of the concept of Destination Image and how the Destination Image is determined by two significant factors - quality of infrastructure and quality of services. Hence the empirical survey which was undertaken in January 2006 by taking the opinion of foreign tourists to assess the image of incredible India. The survey foregrounds the issues associated with facilities, amenities and quality of services at the destinations. The paper has also discussed extensively the issues and suggested solutions to deal with the two major issues of grave concern that mostly impede the creation of a better Destination Image for India in the overseas tourist market. In this context, the dire need is for a synergized participation of both the public and private sectors.
 
KEYWORDS: Destination Image, Quality of Infrastructure, Quality of Services, Overseas Tourist Market. JEL CLASSIFICATIONS: M30, L83, L15 FULL TEXT