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Opportunities in adventure tourism (Part - I)
- Akshay Kumar
 I
remember the day when I was all but 18 and my grandmother sat me down and asked
me, "Son, what are your plans for the future?" To this I replied,
"I love what I do; I'm a white water rafting guide, I lead treks, I go
for 4x4 safaris and climb mountains." But she persisted, "All that
is okay but you need to get into computers or become a CA, better still a corporate
lawyer. Enough of being a boat man and a trekking guide."
This conversation in a nutshell described the entire industry in the late 1980s
and early 1990s. There were a handful of mavericks like me who were convinced
that this was the way to live. Work in Delhi, get a group to come with me to
the mountains for a week, and hey I get to go on a holiday and even get paid
for it.
Today I run an travel company that specialises in offering adventure trips all
over the Himalayas. In the early days, adventure in India was limited to trekking
or climbing in the Himalayas. But the industry has come of age and offers a
variety of adventure travel options. India, in that context is a 'one stop adventure
shop'. Only in India can a person indulge in a camel safari in the deserts of
Rajasthan, heli-ski in the Himalayas, raft down the mighty Ganges and trek in
the Garhwal Himalayas, all in the same month. In addition, there are various
other activities that widen our scope of adventure travel. These include luxury
camping, wildlife trips, outdoor corporate training programmes, aero-sports
including hot air ballooning and paragliding, bungee jumping, alpine skiing
and ski-touring, kayaking and canoeing, jeep, camel and elephant safaris - the
list is actually quite exhaustive.
Having said all that, the adventure travel industry in India is still small
and has a long way to go. Most operators till date are small companies specialising
in one or two adventure activities; companies which are small but growing at
a rapid pace to keep up with the rising demand.
The first thing one must keep in mind before opting for adventure tourism is
that this is not a desk job. You will be required to develop multiple skill
sets ranging from sales and marketing, operations and even leading groups. One
could have weeks of normal office working hours followed by months of hectic
running around with no weekends off. The job is extremely demanding but at the
same time very satisfying as well.
Having covered this point you will now need to decide your calling. You have
the following basic options to look at:
- Tour executives/sales executive: As a tour executive
you will act as the first point of contact with the customer. You will be
required to maintain a database of adventure programmes and develop upon them,
dealing with the customers till the tour is confirmed, pricing the programmes
according to season, location and number of visitors and eventually hand the
file over to the operations team.
Pre-requisites: No specific qualifications are required. A decent
knowledge of computers, good command of English and a head for numbers.
Of course, a diploma in tourism from any recognised university helps but
one can easily overcome that by excelling in the above qualities. Three
months into the job and one can pick up enough knowledge to start moving
on to the next level.
- Sales and marketing: Most adventure companies are
small hence have small units of four to six people spearheading sales. You
will need to get out on the streets to make cold calls and get business. This
is not rocket science but you have to understand the uniqueness of the product
as you are selling an eco-friendly nature-based product and many times the
client does not understand this. You are not someone selling hotels and sightseeing
tours. You are selling experiences which the clients will cherish for a long
time. You will get to accompany your clients on these trips and get to know
them better.
Pre requisites: A sales background and a passion for the outdoors
are very important assets to have. Do not try to sell adventure till you
have experienced it yourself. Adventure is all about experiences and that's
what you will sell.
- Operations: This is perhaps the most important
and the most exciting job that you can have. Operations is a wide subject
and will involve everything from camp management to technical expertise like
white water rafting, skiing, trekking and climbing.
Pre requisites: It is always preferred to come with some basic qualifications
in adventure activities. The courses available in our country are as follows:
Mountaineering, rock climbing, trekking and search
and rescue
 Knowledge
in above three will go a long way in setting you up for all fields of adventure
sports. The Government of India runs some of the best climbing schools in
the world. With the Himalayas as our playground we have the best natural
infrastructure for climbing and related activities. In addition, an international
NGO called Outward Bound is setting up base in India this year. This will
be a one stop organisation for most technical programmes in adventure sports.
Geared to provide outdoor education to the youth of India, Outward Bound
will bring the much needed international expertise in adventure sports.
White Water Sports: rafting, kayaking and swift
water rescue
White water sports like river rafting, kayaking and canoeing have peaked
in India in recent months. More than 50 companies all over India specialise
in white water activities. The Indian Association of Professional Rafting
Outfitters is a national association of rafting companies that run seasonal
training and attachment programmes for white water enthusiasts.
Camp Management
Outdoor camping is fast developing as an ideal weekend getaways for families
and corporate. Every metro city in India offers a variety of outdoor camps
for adults and children within four and six hours driving distance. In addition
to accommodation, these camps offer a variety of adventure activities. Once
you have the basic qualification in any of the above adventure sports you
can always apply to any camp to get further experience. Many organisations
look for summer trainees to join them for three months. This offers an ideal
training ground and will help you decide your career path.
Bird watching and natural history
Having knowledge about birds, wild animals, trees and plants
are important facets of nature-based travel. If you have the above qualifications
you will always be preferred over other applicants. In order to give clients
a fulfilling outdoor experience one must be able to introduce them to the
flora and fauna of the region. You will need this knowledge to work in any
wildlife reserves or national parks in India.
First aid and CPR
First aid and CPR (Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation) is a
prerequisite to any adventure sport. The Indian Red Cross and some private
clinics offer these courses.
Snow skiing and snow boarding
Skiing in India is limited to Gulmarg, Auli and Manali.
These three areas are the only developed ski areas in India at present. With
big players like the Ford family investing millions into developing ski areas
in India, it will pay in the long run to learn skiing from reputed government
and private institutes.
Paragliding
Para-gliding and hang-gliding are slowly getting popular
in the country. The only way to get trained in these sports in India is to
join a company that runs these programmes. Mumbai and Manali are both good
places to start with.
Hot air ballooning
Ballooning is still a very rare and exclusive adventure
sport in India. Not many people can afford to take ballooning trips. The Balloon
Association of India is the only professional organisation in India.
Sea-based water sports
Our long coastline paves way to a variety of sea-based
activities like sailing, wind surfing, scuba diving and water skiing. The
Indian Institute of Water Sports based in Goa offers a variety of courses
to choose from. While some of the above courses are certificate courses the
others may comprise on the job training.
The bottom line is that in adventure these courses
will offer a sound base to move forward. The rest will come through pure experience.
So take my advice and try out an adventure. If this is your calling, then
you are looking at exciting opportunities and loads of fun.
NIM
Col. M. M. Masur, Principal
Nehru Institute of Mountaineering
Uttarkashi (Uttranchal)
Tel:- 01374-222123/224663
Fax :- 01374-223344
email:- India_nim@rediffmail.com
HMI
Maj. K. S. Dhami, Principal
Himalayan Mountaineering Institute
Jawahar Parbat, Darjeeling (W.B)
Tel:- 0354-2254083/2254087/2253760/2254330
email:- hmi@dte.vsnl.net.in
DMAS
Mr. Chamel Singh, IAS, Director
Directorate of Mountaineering & Allied Sports
Manali-175131, Himachal Pradesh
Tel:- 01902-253789/252137
Outward Bound, India
D 502 Som Vihar Appartments,
R K Puram New Delhi - 22
Tel:- 011-23340033,
email: adventure@vsnl.com
IMF
Col. N. K. Bhimwal, Director
Indian Mountaineering Foundation
6, Benito Juarez road, Anand Niketan
Tel:- 24111211/24117935/24113412
website :- www.indmount.org, www.indmount.org
IISM
Mr. K. A. Mir, Principal
Indian Institute of Mountaineering & Skiing, Gulmarg
Tel:- 0194-2458627/09419600963
East West Rescue (First Aid)
38, Golf Links, New Delhi - 110 003
Tel:- 011-24698865/24623738/24699229/2469 0429
Fax: +91-11-2469 0428/2463 2382
email:- ewr@vsnl.com, airambulance@eastwestrescue.com
The Ballooning Club of India
8-B, Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg, New Delhi.
Tel:- 011-3317977
National Institute of Watersports
Ministry of Tourism, Government of India
Sundial Apartment, A.S. Road,
Altinho, Panjim, Goa 403 001
Tel:- 0832-2436550
Tel/Fax:- 0832-2436400
E-mail: niwsgoa@sancharnet.in
Indian Red Cross Society (First Aid)
National Headquarters
1, Red Cross Road, New Delhi - 110001
Tel:- 011-3716441/2/3, 3716426
Fax:- 011-3717454
email:- indcross@vsnl.com
Bombay Natural History Society,
Hornbill House,Shaheed Bhagat Singh Road,
Mumbai 400 023
Tel:- 91-22-22821811, Fax: 91-22-22837615
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Paragliding
The Western India Paragliding Association,
14 Percy, I C Colony, Borivali (West), Mumbai
Tel:- 022-2893 6184
Himalayan Institute of Adventure Sports
C/o Himalayan Adventures (P) Ltd
The Mall, Manali, Himachal Pradesh
Tel:-253050
The Aeronautical Society of India
9 Suranjan Das Road,
New Thippasandra Post, Bangalore
Tel:- 080-5297159/ 5286721.
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The writer is general manager (Operations) at Mercury Himalayan
Explorations. This is the first part of the series. Look out for the concluding
second part that will focus on safety standards in adventure tourism and upgrading
skill sets.
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