More than 300 Adventure Tour Operators from Himalayas to Kanyakumari along with 16 state tourism officials and media delegates from all over India have come together in Kumarakom, the backwater capital of Kerala to discuss and chalk out various action plan to make India as a Capital of World Adventure and Activities Tourism in near future as part of the 13th Annual Convention of the ATOAI (Adventure Tour Operators Association of India), which successfully concluded at Backwater Ripples Resort in Kumarakom on September 21, 2017.
Mr. Kadagampally Surendran, Honourable Minister of Tourism, Govt of Kerala has inaugurated the three vent on September 18, 21017 by lighting the traditional lamp in the presence of Mr. Sathyajeet Rajan IAS, Director General , Ministry of Tourism, Government of India, Dr. Venu V IAS, Principal Secretary- Tourism, Government of Kerala, Capt. Swadesh Kumar, President, ATOAI, , Mr. Rajesh Ojha, Convention Chairman and Cdr. Sam T Samule, Convention Co- Chairman, ATOAI.
While delivering his inaugural address Kerala Tourism Minister Mr. Surendran said that,Kerala Tourism is currently planning to re-brand itself as an ‘Adventure and Activities based Travel ’ hub of India and find new avenues to take the sector forward in order to double the tourist arrivals by 2021. Keeping this in mind the department will now start a new ‘Tourist Circuit’ based out of North Kerala and will shift focus from areas it had been concentrating all this while to specifically give thrust to Adventure Tourism with the sole aim of attracting more youngsters to the state. The upcoming Tourism Policy of Kerala will have clear emphasis on the sustainable development path to take Kerala Tourism to next level.
According to ATTOI , India is the only country in the world that can offers every possible adventure activity from Snow to desert, Mountain biking to white water rafting, Elephant safaris to Camel Rides and cruises. Capt. Swadesh Kumar, reiterated that ATOAI (Adventure Tour Operators Association of India)is committed to make the dream come to reality and has taken upon itself to develop and market India as the adventure capital of the world.
Capt. Swadesh Kumar further added that “Every country has some adventure to offer, but India is a country that offers almost every adventure and active holiday experience that one can seek. Even as the definition of adventure has expanded, India has upped its game to offer all this. From mostly a mountain and wildlife destination, the country now offers much more: Skiing, water rafting, treks, road trips, off-road adventure, biking, cycling, scuba diving, river cruising, angling, bungee jumping, ballooning, caving, birding, adventure parks, nature retreats, culture, food, mountaineering and more. At any given time of the year, one can do most of these at some location in the country.”
“To achieve our desired objectives, ATOAI has proposed to the Ministry of Tourism that the year 2018 be declared a Year of Adventure in India,” he added.
Theme of the convention was “Emerging Pathways” and the agenda to thus cover issues related to meeting these goals. The deliberationswhich was taken place in the conventions includes the policy frame work, stringent safety and security measures for various activities, Human resource capacity creation, Responsible Tourism and marketing. The global tourism industry is undergoing significant changes, with travelers increasingly preferring adventure and active holidays. The niche has not only become main stream but is now leading it.
As part of the convention, an Adventure Travel Expo was also held at Kumarakom, in which more than 100 stalls were set up. From Kerala, Destination Wayanad showcased aesthetically and well planned strategy under the Wayanad DTPC. Mr. Suhas IAS, District Collector and Chair,man District Tourism Promotion Council himself leads delegation. Mr. Kadakampally SUrendran released the new Visual campaign of Destination Wayanad at the venue.
The other exhibitors includes India Tourism, Karanataka Tourism, Andhra Pradesh Tourism, Uttarakhand Tourism, Kumaon Mandal Vikas Nigam Ltd., Jungles Lodges & Resorts Karanataka, calypso Adventures, ARC Adventure Resorts & Cruises, Somatheeram Ayurveda Group etc.
The convention delegates has also experienced a day of adventure with the Village life activities as part of Kumarakom Responsible Tourism initiates headed by Mr. Rupesh Kumar, State Coordinator of Kerala RT Mission.
INDIA IN A UNIQUE POSITION TO BE A LEADER IN ADVENTURE TOURISM
Adding to this, Mr. Rajesh Ojha, Convention Chairman, said, “Since 1994, ATOAI has been at the forefront of influencing policy, helping members create capacity, training, establishing safety standards, ensuring sustainable practices and marketing. The year 2017 marks a watershed when the association has taken upon itself to raise the bar.”
The new traveller is driven by a desire for physical and mental transformations, feeling healthier and more alive in the process. He or she seeks to achieve this through discovery, learnings, unique experiences, meaningful stories, fun, thrills, new friendships and an expanded worldview. These are all inherent in adventure travel. Trends such as these will have implications on how travel business is conducted in the coming years.
Mr. Balakiran IAS, Director f Kerala Tourism has participated in the concluding session and informed that the first time in the history of Kerala Tourism the numbers of the in-bound foreign tourists have swelled beyond 1 million and that domestic tourists arrivals have touched 1.38 crores.
Mr. Balakiran has also added that Kerala Tourism department is currently is working a series of strategy with the support of Tourism industry players to make Kerala as the most preferred destination in the world of Adventure and Activities based Tourism.
