– Niharika Nigam –
The Ministry of Tourism declared 2018 as the ‘Year of Adventure Tourism’. With this the time to come will see a number of events to encourage adventure sports. 2017 witnessed good and adventurous sports in the country and is expected to be trending in 2018 in a more advanced form. Besides sports, there is an increasing trend of photography and for this; people explore places and a new destination in the country. Millennials are increasing in number and are looking for fun and outdoor sports that will engage them in challenging activities. Due to these increasing adventure sports, adventure tourism is also gaining market share.
India’s highest Bungy is at a height of 83 mtrs in Rishikesh, Uttarakhand that is conducted byhighly experienced and professional jump masters from New Zealand. What makes this Bungy more exciting and thrilling is the scenic beauty of Uttarakhand and its green mountains. In Rishikesh, the bungee zone is built over a rocky cliff overlooking the river HALL, a tributary of river Ganga. The Bungy Jump is done from a fixed cantilever- the only one of its kind in India- making it the most thrilling Bungy experience in India.
Other sports such as Paragliding is something new in India and is gradually becoming popular in the recent past. Place in India like Kullu, Solang, Lahaul, Spiti, Naukutchiyatal, Jaipur, Jodhpur, Udaipur, Matheran and Mahabaleshwar are some the major paragliding sites in the country. This sport is best suited for September and December & March and June. Rock Climbing is another adventurous sport which is not new, but people have started accepting it as one. There are many sites in the country such as Aravali range, Western Ghats and Himachal Pradesh where one can experience the Rock Climbing. Not to forget Skiing, which is popular in the colder region of the world, is one of the favourite winter sports. Audi in Garhwal region of Himachal Pradesh is one of the best skiing spot other than Kurfi, Narkhanda, Manali and the likes.
These adventure sports in India will flourish more in an advanced form in 2018 such one can still enjoy skiing in summers. Nowadays, many malls and amusement parks have come with such outdoor concepts which one can enjoy at any season. Similarly, one can enjoy Rock Climbing with artificially or man-made huge rocks and this will work for other adventure sports like Bungee Jump, Flying Fox, Giant Swing, Rafting Rock-climbing, Flying Safari and much more.
Besides sports, there is an increasing trend of photography and for this people head out to place in India like Rishikesh in Uttrakhand, Singalila Ridge in West Bengal, Pang to Rumtse in Ladakh, Baga in Goa, Shepherd’s Trail in Himachal Pradesh, etc. Young generations are looking for more such fun and outdoor sports in the coming year in order to engaging themselves in such lifetime experience.
Adventure activities also give options and opportunities for the tourists to explore the destination and this is, in turn, resulted in increasing number of hotels, boutiques, guest houses, and motels. Adventure sports, especially in the lap of nature- gets the adrenaline rushing and is truly an enriching experience to carry back home. As such, it is a big boost to mental health as well. Such fun and adventurous activities can also contribute immensely towards keeping one active. Engaging in these sports help form lasting friendships with the peers’ one shares the experience with, and a mentor relationship with the jump masters. Which is why these are also preferred for Corporate Outbound expeditions, to enhance team bonding.
After witnessing the presence and increasing number of such outdoor sports across the globe, it is expected to soon be the future of India not only as a sport but also in terms of tourism. It is also likely that the Indian tourism sector is likely to grow at an average annual rate of 7.9 percent till 2023 and has a potential to further expand. Despite this, the adventure tourism market in India is very small as compared to the Western countries in the world. A survey conducted by a trade body states that the global market stands at USD 89 billion (around Rs 5.34 trillion) and India, on the other hand, stands less at around USD 75 million (around Rs 25 billion).
The government of India is now playing a major role in growing the tourism sector in the country. Not only at state level, but also at the central level, the‘Incredible India’ Campaign covers must-have experiences within the travel and adventure sports industry. There are several promotional drives and exhibitions being organised towards this end in 2018.
The outdoor or adventure sports keep one healthy such as cricket or football or even badminton and squash require strength and make use of all the muscles in one’s body. Similarly, people nowadays are looking for a break from their daily hustle bustle life and looking for fun activities like trekking, climbing, rafting, etc as a weekend getaways or for long holidays to detoxify their body and soul. The younger generation is not only inclined towards these sports,but is well aware and eager to lap them up. In order to get away from this technology-dependent life, one must give adventure sports a try.
The adventure sports also help in increasing confidence as it is a game of mind, soul and body in challenging conditions. For some, it is more of a meditation and disconnecting with the world in the middle of mountain and greenery.
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About the Author
Niharika Nigam
Author and Director Business Development
Niharika Nigam is the Director – Business Development at Jumpin Heights, India’s first Extreme Adventure zone
Disclaimer : The views expressed by the author in this feature are entirely her own and do not necessarily reflect the views of INVC NEWS.
