Exploresearch (ISSN: 3048-815X) ( Vol. 03 | No. 3 | July - September, 2026 )

Tourists' Perception and Experience towards Fairs and Festivals in Himachal Pradesh: An Empirical Study

Author: Arpna Devi, Dr. Jyoti Thakur & Dr. Rajat Sharma

Fairs and festivals are central to the cultural heritage of Himachal Pradesh and serve as major attractions for cultural tourism. This study examines tourists' perception and experience of selected indigenous fairs and festivals of Himachal Pradesh using a Tourists' Perception and Experience (TPE) scale administered to 513 respondents selected through stratified multistage purposive sampling across Shimla, Sirmaur, Chamba, Kullu, and Mandi districts. The TPE scale showed good internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha = .895; McDonald's omega = .908). Respondents rated the fairs and festivals positively overall (M = 4.03, SD = 0.41 on a five-point scale), with cultural richness and authenticity rated highest and accessibility rated lowest. No significant differences emerged by age, education, or role (tourist versus local resident). Multiple regression showed that perceived socio-economic impact (beta = .443) and marketing strategies (beta = .290) significantly and positively predicted TPE, while perceived problems and challenges had a significant negative effect (beta = -.110), together explaining 42.9% of the variance (R-squared = .429). The findings offer insights into the role of indigenous fairs and festivals in promoting cultural tourism in Himachal Pradesh, with implications for tourism managers and policymakers.

Devi, A., Thakur, J. & Sharma, R. (2026). Tourists' Perception and Experience towards Fairs and Festivals in Himachal Pradesh: An Empirical Study. Exploresearch, 03(03), 25–35. https://doi.org/10.62823/exre/03.03.248

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DOI:

Article DOI: 10.62823/exre/03.03.248

DOI URL: https://doi.org/10.62823/exre/03.03.248

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