TITLE OF PAPER COMPARATIVE STUDY OF TOURIST PLACES

TITLE OF PAPER: “COMPARATIVE STUDY OF TOURIST PLACES: ALIBAG BEACH IN INDIA AND CORAL BEACH PATTAYA IN THAILAND” PROF Dr. RAJARAM APPAJI PATIL (M. A. , M. Phil, Ph. D. ) ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR DEPARTMENT OF GEOGRAPHY MAHATMA PHULEA. S. C. COLLEGE, PANVEL, DIST. RAIGAD, MAHARASHTRA MAIL -- rajarampatil 100@gmail. com Mobile -- 8080102101 COM. GODAVAARI SHAMRAO PARULEKAR COLLEGE OF ARTS COMMERCE AND SCIENCE , IALASARI DIST PALGHAR DATE 20/03/2016

INTRODUCTION Tourism is mainly travel for recreation and leisure purposes. It is a provision of support services to the leisure travel. The World Tourism Organization (WTO) defines tourists as people who "travel to and stay in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes not related to the exercise of an activity remunerated from within the place visited”. It is a popular global leisure activity. Tourism is the vital activity of many countries, for the purpose of income from the goods and support services by tourists, the taxes levied on businesses in the tourism industry. It gives opportunities for employment in the tourism related service industries which include transportation services such as cruise ships and taxis, accommodation like hotels, restaurants, bars and entertainment venues and other hospitality industry services. Tourism needs basic infrastructure in which transportation is necessary for accessibility of region. India is known as the country of various seasons and all type of natural physical setup. India is a beautiful country having long past and spiritual traditions. Therefore here number of natural and manmade attractions are available. Maharashtra offers quiet and beautiful golden beaches lapped by the blue water of the Arabian Sea such as Ganpatipule Ratnagiri, Guhagar, Achara, Tarkarli, Vengurla, Akshi, Kashid, Alibag, Khim, Harihareshwar, Mandva and Karanja.

Thailand is the most popular tourist destination in Southeast Asia. Every year sixteen million foreigners visit this country. You can find almost anything here from crystal blue beaches, thick jungle, great food, cheap beach front bungalows to the best luxury hotels in the world. Variety of activities are available for people with different choices. It is the only Southeast Asian country which has never been colonized. It is also studded with incredible cultural and historical sites, including ruins that exist back hundreds of years. And despite the growing rates of tourism, Thailand retains its quintessential identity with its own unique culture and history and a carefree people famed for their smiles. To visit Thailand is to step into an entirely different world. Bordered by Malaysia to the south, Cambodia to the southeast, Laos to the northeast and Myanmar to the northwest, this eclectic gem of a country’s position on the Gulf of Thailand the Andaman Sea provides numerous opportunities for outdoor, sun-worshiping adventure.

STUDY AREA • ALIBAG Alibag located on 18° 39'N; 72° 57'E it is tehsil place, the headquarters of the Kolaba district and the chief town of the Alibag taluka has an area of 0. 7 square miles. It is coastal town. Beach of Alibag is the attraction. The view of Alibag, as it is approached from the sea, is exceedingly picturesque. In the foreground is the sea-fort of Kolaba, with its temples, ruinco palaces, and trees. • This is the main beach of the town. There are several coconut trees here, swaying in the breeze. Alibag beach has the blackest sand of the region and Just 113 km from Mumbai. • CORAL BEACH PATTAYA Pattaya is a city in Thailand, a beach resort popular with tourists and expatriates. It is on the east coast of the Gulf of Thailand, about 100 kilometres southeast of Bangkok within, but not part of, Amphoe Bang Lamung in the province of . Chonburi Coral Island Parasailing - Enjoy Parasailing in the beautiful sea between Pattaya and Coral Islands. The whole view is so colorful, with all the parachutes tied behind speed boats.

OBJECTIVES • To study the main attractions of both locations. • To study the available services. • To give the suggestions for the maximum development of tourist place Alibag.

DATA COLLECTION AND METHODOLOGY • The entire work is based on the primary and secondary data. The primary data has been collected through observation and interview method. Secondary data collected through The District Gazetteer and District Census Hand Book of Raigad District. Different web sites also referred to collect data.

ATTRACTIONS IN AND AROUND ALIBAG • TEMPLES • There are five chief Hindu temples, dedicated to Mahadev, Vithoba, Visnu, Maruti, and Ram. Temples in this historical town are very old and dated back to the times of the Peshvas or even earlier. • There are two mosques nearly two hundred years old and a synagogue more than 100 years old. • HIRAKOT OR DIAMOND FORT • One of the large buildings in Alibag is the Hirakot or Diamond Fort built of massive blocks of black trap, to the north-west of the town within a hundred yards of the beach. • KOLABA FORT • To the south-west of Alibag , one can wade out to the Kulaba fort, 1 - 2 km off the shore from the Alibag beach which is built by Chatrapathi Shivaji Maharaj. • AKSHI BEACH • It is just 4 kms away from Alibag. • NAGAON BEACH • It is just 7 km from. Alibag. • KHANDERI AND UNDHERI. • Twin forts are observed north side of Alibag.

MOTOR BOAT Number of tourist boat 7 Cost of boat 500000 -700000 Owners 15 (boat club formed) Expenses Petrol +servicing Driver Rs. 300/driver/day Worker Rs. 200/worker/day Ticket Rs. 100/tourist Group concession Rs. 50/tourist Tax Rs. 5/ticket Now 15 local peoples have formed a boat club and they have purchased 7 petrol motorboats to travel from Alibag to the fort. Cost of one boat is rupees 500000 to 700000. They pay rupees 300 per day to the driver , rupees 200 to the workers and municipal tax rupees 5 per ticket . They charge rupees 100 per tourist and concessional charge rupees 50 per tourist for group.

HORSES AND HORSE CARTS Number of horses Number of horse carts Cost Horse owners Workers Salary for workers Cost of single ride on beach Cost of single ride from beach to fort Gain Drawback 175 35 15000 -40000 Kural, Vaishvi, Alibag formed union Local people Rs. 100 +commission Rs. 50/tourist Rs. 100/tourist Saturday , Sunday and maximum business High tide and natural affects business people holidays calamity In this tourist destination 175 horses and 35 horse carts are available for tourist’s entertainment. Cost of horse is about rupees 15000 to 40000. Local and nearby village peoples are owners of these horses are formed union. They keep local people as a worker and pay salary rupees 100 plus commission per worker per day. They charge rupees 50 for one ride on beach and charge rupees 100 for single ride from beach to the fort. Saturday, Sunday and holidays are helpful for maximum business. High tide and natural calamities affects business.

AVAILABLE SERVICES Sr. Number 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Shop type Coconut stall Showpiece Imitation jewellery Tea stall Photographer Fast food Hotels Horses Shoe mart Horse cart Cold rink Ice-cream Motor boat

ATTRACTIONS IN AND AROUND PATTAYA • PARASAILING • Coral Island Parasailing - Enjoy Parasailing in the beautiful sea between Pattaya and Coral Islands. The whole view is so colourful, with all the parachutes tied behind speed boats. • UNDERWATER SEA WALK • Amazing experience of under water World Seen by Walking Underwater Sea between Pattaya and Coral Islands. • SPEED BOAT PATTAYA • Speed Boat Pattaya - It is one hell of a ride from the Coral Islands to the Pattaya Beach. • CORAL ISLAND • Coral Island, known locally as Koh Hae, is a beautiful getaway destination located three kilometres southeast of Phuket. • LONG BEACH AND BANANA BEACH • Both beaches have a lot of water sports activities - banana boats, canoes, and snorkelling. However, Long Beach features a speedboat to take you for a brief parasail outing (600 baht).

SERVICES AVAILABLE ØAll Indian services are available in both beaches. I Ø Deck chairs and sun loungers can be rented and come free (at the resort) with the day tour. ØAt the resort there are batik classes (250 baht an hour) , Ø scuba diving classes Øresort's swimming pool (English, ØChinese and Thai spoken: 2, 000 baht for a one-day course) Ø. At the eastern end of long beach you will find an open-air pavilion used for massages.

SUGGETIONS FOR DEVELOPMENT OF ALIBAG TOURIST PLACE ØTo start the paragliding service to attract more tourists. ØTo start more sea sport facilities like sea boarding , water bike etc. ØTo start water transportation service form Alibag to Kulaba fort, Khanderi – Underi fort, and other nearby beaches, so that the tourist can spend full day and take maximum enjoyment of nearby tourist places. Ø Form safe zones for security of tourists by using plastic drums and rope and maintain it time to time like coral beach Pattaya. Ø Make available facilities of Deck chairs and sun loungers for tourist. ØThere is need of keeping the beaches and sea water maximum clean. ØContinuous availability of well trained risqué operation team along the coastline. ØDisplay informative boards about danger zones of beaches for safeguard of tourist

CONCLUSION The tourist places Alibag in State Maharashtra(India) and Coral beach Pattaya in country Thailand studied comparatively, it observes that Coral beach Pattaya is maximum developed because of more beautiful attractions and excellent services. Comparatively Alibag beach is not developed well. It has also opportunity to maximum development by applying suggestions mentioned above.

REFERANCES 1 ^ "Census of India 2001: Data from the 2001 Census, including cities, villages and towns (Provisional)". Census Commission of India. Archived from the original on 2004 -06 -16. Retrieved 2008 -11 -01 2. http: //www. roughguides. com/destinations/asia/thailand/#ixzz 43 jer. AWm 2 3. http: //www. traveldestinations. ws