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The recently concluded Adventure Tour Operators Association of India (ATOAI) convention at Shivpuri, Uttarakhand, highlighted and addressed a number of pressing and serious issues that affects the adventure tourism space in India. The convention was planned at the said destination with a clear purpose to announce that the state of Uttarakhand is ready and back to welcome its tourists and to also address issues of the industry at large. For the first time in ATOAI’s history, this was an ‘adventurous’ convention in its true sense, hosted on the banks of the River Ganga. The high point of the convention was the entire delegation rafting down from Devprayag to the Beas Ghat for an overnight camp. At the ghat, the local camping fraternity showcased their skills by setting up an expansive campsite for 250 guests. The firsts at this year’s convention were pre-connect and media connect programmes wherein local adventure tourism stakeholders interacted and networked with the delegates and the media and showcased their work and specialities. Speaking at the convention, Akshay Kumar, president, ATOAI, said, “ATOAI will continue to support Uttarakhand. The people of Uttarakhand need their visitors to return soon. Over 85 per cent of the state is unaffected and safe to travel to. While we cannot erase memories, we hope to put forward the right perception. We are bringing together the best of the adventure travel industry, along with domestic and overseas buyers, policy makers, government officials, decision makers, allied industry and media. The sharing of thoughts and ideas will help the industry formulate strategy and help shape future policy.”
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According to Rajesh Ojha, convention chairman, “The 11th convention of ATOAI symbolises the change and continuity a thriving organisation should have. Our attempt is to bring to the local adventure travel community the benefits of the market. The theme of the convention ‘Connect | Create | Catalyse | Conserve’ are the four pillars within which the industry moves. We always try to find a balance between these four states. I hope when this convention ends we will find ourselves closer to that goal.”
Rafting rules
The primary issue that was raised at the convention was with respect to India’s rafting policy. A strict rafting regulation was put in place by the association. They urged the state government to implement the same on priority. Safety and security is a major issue of concern with regards to adventure sports in India. The ATOAI body has meticulously laid down guidelines and best practices to be stringently followed. The members have appealed to the state government to make this as part of their policy and to also keep the guidelines in place before issuing the required permits and license. The speakers at the convention vociferously pressed upon the importance of training and safety rules apart from addressing the issue of carrying capacity and better infrastructure for the betterment of tourism in general. The head of Trip Advisor in India, Nikhil Ganju, shared with the audience a finding that India is not perceived as a safe adventure tourism hub to the which the ATOAI felt that though there are serious players in the market who are following all rules and norms, it is due to few fly-by-night operators and no strict check by the government that the business is facing a challenging review and reaction. Mandip Singh Soin, founder and managing director, Ibex Expeditions, emphasised on the need to address the issue of carrying capacity after conducting a serious study on what is the optimum limit for tourists to visit a region during a specific time frame. The question here is clearly about sustainable and responsible tourism. Kumar also emphasised on the need for capacity building courses in adventure as they hope to work closely with every state tourism board to take this concept forward. The plan is to start-off with Darjeeling and move on to other regions.
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Tejbir Singh Anand, managing director, Holiday Moods Adventure, highlighted the need for the right infrastructure facilities, accessibility especially in the state of Uttarakhand, which is rich for adventure sports. The plan was to activate another train station. Building of airports namely in Chinyalisaur, Pithoragarh should be seriously considered. Trekking and camping policies along with angling policies need to be put into place. An appeal was also made to restart visits to the Nandadevi sanctuary for tourism but keeping the issue of carrying capacity in mind. The constant demand for single window clearance was readdressed at the convention.
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Business sessions, panel discussions were of great importance and each of those gave at least one new point worth noting. I understand that to hold the convention at such a place and to include activities was not an easy task and the ATOAI team has done a commendable job making it happen. – Himanshu Dwivedi – Cholan Tours – Delhi Such events help bring the adventure fraternity together and there is so much to learn from each other’s experiences. Without doubt, business also grows through networking. It was amazing to see great teamwork and bonding among people – who may be otherwise seen as competitors. – Anirudh Chaoji – Pugmark Eco Tours – Pune The mega event was the first of it’s kind wherein the format was typical to adventure. The effort put in and the coordination done involving so many agencies were indeed praiseworthy. – Brig S P Singh – Jumpin Heights – Rishikesh The convention venue, the stay in most beautiful camps specially at Beas Ghat and two days rafting. I want to assure you that I would always like to come back to Uttarakhand and would recommend our family, friends and clients to go to Uttarakhand and enjoy this wonderful place. – Sanjay Kaushik – Rajputana Holiday Makers – Jaipur I was very impressed by ATOAI’s ability to host a large convention to high conference venue standards in an adventure setting. The food was very good and the cultural shows were also a nice touch. – Jonathan Walter – Flying Fox I have no hesitation to say that there wasn’t any negative aspect during the entire convention session. – Rajeev K Sah – general manager – Asian Adventures The venue was amazing and a special mention for Waste Warriors, all of them rocked. – Anshul Mendiratta – Virgin Travel Spots Hotel Association Uttarkashi would like to extend their sincere thanks to ATOAI. It was our pleasure to represent Uttarkashi valley. We appreciate their mission and vision to arrange such a big conglomeration of adventure and tour operators of India. – Ajay Puri – Uttarkashi (Himalaya) – Uttarakhand Innovatively conceptualised, professionally managed, crisp and meaningful business sessions with motivating speakers, superb arrangements for outdoor activities involving local industry, this was a benchmark convention in its true sense. Involving Waste Warriors as partners in the convention has sent a very positive message across the board and helped the cause. The pre-convention interactive meetings with the Uttarakhand government have been quite useful in getting long pending issues to the fore for discussion. – Mohan Tickoo – Kash Venture Travels |
Recommendations
- Overcrowding of campsites has to be checked and a minimum separation of 200 metres between camps is a must
- Immediate ban on loud music and parties in the Shivpuri – Kaudiayala belt, an eco tourism zone
- Environment and safety audit of rafting activity to be done
- Long standing industry demand for a single window clearance of permissions for trekking /climbing / angling, etc
- Draconian Sarai Act to be done away with
- Transport: Volvos /long chassis buses to be allowed till Kaudiyala. This will not only reduce pollution by lesser vehicles on road but will also give a uniform, high-end delivery of transport services for the rafting industry
- Introduce a stop at Raiwala Station to decongest Haridwar Station especially during big bathing dates and local festivals
- Bilaspur to Haldwani highway needs urgent repairing
- Three air trips to be made operational on immediate basis – Chinyalisaur, Gauchar and Pithoragarh
- Three-tier air connectivity system to be put in place. Big aircrafts till Pant Nagar and Jolly Grant, smaller 40 seater planes till Chinyalisaur, Gauchar and Pithoragarh. Helicopters connecting these airports to Auli, Munsiari, Badrinathm, Kedarnath, etc
- Seven am flight arrival in Dehradun to ensure tourists can drive to far off locations in Uttarakhand
- Same trekking charge for all national parks
- Uttarakhand government is requested to initiate a dialogue to move towards controlled opening of the Nanda Devi Inner Sanctuary
- ATOAI to be made recommending body for licensing, safety and environmental guidelines
- Rafting policy to be circulated for comments from industry and ATOAI before implementing.
ATOAI commitments to Uttarakhand
ATOAI made the following commitments to the state:
- Three year Clean Uttarakhand campaign (NIM – Devprayag belt) in collaboration with Waste Warriors
- Plan and implement a search and rescue system for trekkers and climbers
- Ensuring availability of Personal Locator Beacons ( PLBs) from ISRO or companies like Garmin, which will help in rescues
- The association will continue to hold one seminar and two guide training programmes every year in collaboration with UTDB
- The association will follow up with the state government on loan waivers and subsidy applications.
