DETERMINANTS OF TOURISM IN JAMMU AND KASHMIR – AN EMPIRICAL ANALYSIS

The objective of this study is to estimate the determinants of International tourist arrival to Jammu and Kashmir. The paper used the gravity model to International tourist arrival covering the period of 1998 to 2007 for ten countries VIZ. Canada, U.S.A., France, Germany, Netherland, Itlay, Malayasia, Japan, Australia and U.K. Factors influencing on tourist arrivals are classified as economic and geographic factors. GDP, exchange rate and infrastructure are the economic factors and distance is the geographic factor. The results showed that income of other countries and the income of Jammu and Kashmir are significant and had a great influence on tourist arrival to Jammu and Kashmir. Distance is associated with the decrease in tourist arrival. More the distance between Jammu and Kashmir and the other country lesser will be the arrivals to Jammu and Kashmir and vice versa. The results confirm the findings of previous studies that income, exchange rate, infrastructure and distance has vital role for the tourist arrival to Jammu and Kashmir. The results also implies that tourism demand in J&K is mainly depends on the factor of tourism generating countries.