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What is your agenda for the 11th Annual ATOAI Convention?
Apart from bringing focus back to Uttarakhand post the disaster, the convention will also bring together international and national luminaries in the field of adventure. As a first, the convention will kick start with a networking and ice breaking session among the delegates, and also include a media networking session into the main agenda of the convention. The convention has been planned not only to give a good knowledge and learning experience to the delegates but also give an experience of what adventure is. The setup of the convention this year has been planned keeping adventure top of mind. The fact that the convention will be hosted along the banks of the upper Ganga with accommodation in luxury river side tents and lodges, will make this a unique concept for an adventure conference.
What are your plans for 2014?
The new team started its tenure with a focus on creating opportunities for its members. Not only we have managed to achieve that through international road shows but also by imparting knowledgethrough ground level safety and risk management workshops. We intend to continue on this path and taking our ‘Stakeholder Seminars and Workshops’ model to other states on a pan India basis. Conducting FAM tours for international agents and working closely with the Ministry of Tourism to settle nagging issues like use of satelite phones, recognition of small operators and implementation of our minimum standards across the country and will remain high on our national agenda.
What are the primary challenges that the industry is facing?
The primary challenge that the industry has been facing is growing regionalism and increasing gap between the central and state tourism policies. Also, the implementation of ATOAI Adventure Safety Guidelines as minimum safety guidelines at central as well as state levels. Initiating a meaningful dialogue with state level associations and increasing benefits for members across the board.
How does your association address the challenges facing adventure tourism?
We are in constant dialogue with relevant ministries and government departments to meet the challenges and remove the obstacles from the course of promotion of adventure tourism in the country.
