On the behest of Adventure Tour Operators Association of India (ATOAI), Ministry of Tourism has announced 2018 as ‘The Year of Adventure Tourism’. The association will spearhead various activities across the country to promote adventure travel to celebrate the year of adventure tourism. “The goal is to double the adventure travel in the country in the next two years,” Said Capt Swadesh Kumar, president, ATOAI.
For past few years the focus of ATOAI has been creating widespread awareness about adventure tourism being one of the important facets of tourism in the country and the need to promote India as one of the most popular adventure tourism destinations in the world. India as an adventure tourism destination has grown in popularity both in the domestic and international market. The celebration of 2018 as ‘Year of Adventure Tourism’ is expected to help in achieving the goals which ATOAI has set.
ATOAI is aiming to have a series of events, roadshows in India and overseas, familiarisation trips for international adventure tour operators to mark the celebrations. ATOAI has already given a wish list to MoT for holding the below events:
- India Adventure Summit in April 2018
- ATTA – AdventureNext in Panchmarhi, Madhya Pradesh in December, 2018
- ATOAI is also planning to bid for PATA Adventure Travel Mart and Conference in India for February 2019 in Assam
“Our association has adopted two trails as a part of our contribution towards Himalayan sites for cleaning and maintaining – Stok Kangri and the ascent trail to Base Camp, Gangotri Temple and trail to Gaumukh. We are doing both the above projects in collaboration with the local communities. The purpose of this project is to preserve the past for future generations. The project aims to develop synergy among all partners. ATOAI is making all efforts to increase our membership across the country from the present strength of 450 to 2000 by the end of 2018,” the association said in a release.
ATOAI is also co-ordinating with adventure tour operators associations in smaller towns, making them its affiliate members and also reach to their members to come in the fold of ATOAI.
“ATOAI and its members have always been in the front when it comes to the safety of the clients. Today there are many deaths annually due to negligent operators not operating within laid down guidelines. It is our duty to make sure that these accidents and fatalities are reduced to a minimal if not Zero. ATOAI team has prepared a version 2 of the safety guidelines for adventure tourism. MoT has circulated these guidelines in all states. A meeting was held on December 27, 2017 where these guidelines were shared and discussed with the representatives of all Indian states. MoT has given them two weeks to come back with any changes/additions. After which the guidelines will be implemented across all Indian states,” the release said.
