Captain Swadesh Kumar, President, ATOAI expressed at India Tourism Vision Day’ conference that India has the potential to become the world capital of both soft adventure and hard adventure.

India is rated by World Economic Forum as the ninth most competitive in natural and cultural tourism resources. From the highest peaks in the world to seasonal rivers and backwaters, the country has the potential to become a centre of excellence in natural and adventure tourism.

At the India Tourism Vision Day organised by Federation of Associations in Indian Tourism & Hospitality (FAITH) – the policy federation of all the national associations representing the complete tourism, travel and hospitality industry of India (ADTOI, ATOAI, FHRAI, HAI, IATO, ICPB, IHHA, ITTA, TAAI, TAFI) — Captain Swadesh Kumar, President - Adventure Tour Operators Association of India (ATOAI) expressed that India has the potential to become the world capital of both soft adventure and hard adventure.

He said, “To create structured global awareness we look forward to branding Indian adventure tourism though creating a Sub brand to our Incredible India main brand.”

He also mentioned that due to the crisis most adventure tourism activity, which is based on working with local population in hinterlands and rural areas, is not functional and thus has increased the unemployment rate. He advised that a robust social security mechanism should be implemented across the country on the lines of Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MNREGA) to support the livelihood of tourism stakeholders.

Concluding his address, Kumar said, “We need a financial legislative mechanism to make adventure tourism activities bankable at priority interest rates. The adventure tourism activities are based on natural assets & competences and not on collateral assets and thus need a different financing guarantee mechanism.”

“In the post Covid era, our natural heritage-based tourism can be co- bundled with multiple tourism products of meetings & convention, heritage, education & luxury tourism,” he concluded.