|
|
Association Activities
The ATOAI of India is an association of Adventure Tour Operators from all over India and activities of our members include Trekking,Mountaineering, Rafting and other related water sports,Camel / Jeep / Horse Safari, Bike Tours,Sailing, Ballooning, Handgliding and other Aero Sports,Skiing, Wildlife Safari, Fishing, Scuba Diving,Tribal Tours and Heli Skiing.
The Aims and Objectives of the Association are as follows:
| 1) |
To take all steps which may be necessary for promomting, encouraging and assisting in the development of Adventure Tourism throughout the country and to take initiative to secure the welfare of the Adventure Tourism Trade. |
| 2) |
To Conduct, seminars, group discussions, course of studies, cultural meetings, to promote adventure tourism in India. |
| 3) |
To encourage and promote interaction within the adventure tour operators fraternity and with other travel agents on all subjects involving their common good and benefit. |
| 4) |
To set up and maintain high ethical values in the adventure travel / eco tourism industry. |
Annual Convention
Projects undertaken by ATOAI in the past few years:
CPR and First Aid Courses |
ATOAI has been organising basic first aid and CPR courses for its members for last few years , which received a very good response. More than 30 participants attended the three day course arranged in coordination with NOLS. The instructors specially flew from their head offices to conduct the course.
The course was conducted in the following years:
August 2005
July 2006
September 2007
October 2009
September 2010
Youth Cross Cultural Mountain Conservataion Meet
Adventure Tour Operators Association of India, in Association with the Himalayan Adventure Trust of Japan ( HAT – J) under the leadership of Mrs. Jumko Tabei, the first lady to climb Mt. Everest, organized the “ youth- cross cultural Mountain conservation project 2006 in India. The programme was organized in the Valley of Flower area in Uttaranchal from August 16th – 25, 2006.
The purpose of the whole project was to encourage the young people who join the project to become forerunners for their home countries in the future.
The flag off ceremony of the Youth Cross Cultural Mountain Conservation Meet 2006 took place in New Delhi on the 17th August. Mr. Amitabh Kant- Joint Secretary Tourism, Mr. Ajeet Bajaj- President ATOAI, Capt. Swadesh Kumar- Founder President of ATOAI, Mr. Mandip Singh Soin- Vice President ATOAI and Mr. Tejbir Singh Anand- Treasurer ATOAI also cheered the participating students.
The eight day trekking programme covered- Rishikesh, Joshimath, Ghangaria, Valley of Flowers, Hemkunt Sahib etc. The Ministry of Forest – Uttaranchal was also actively involved in the educational part of the programme. A special “Yuva Panchayat” was held in Joshimath, the forest ministry had invited the local youth to take part in this panchayat along with the other participants. These youngsters will share their experiences and discuss environmental issues. The forest minister Mr. Navraj Singh and other officials from Uttaranchal also interacted with the participants over an informal dinner in Rishikesh.
According to Capt. Swadesh Kumar- Chairman organizing committee, the main objective behind organizing this event was to create awareness about the environmental issues amongst the youth and sensitize them about the problems related to it.
The project was supported by UIAA/ UAAA, Indian Mountaineering Foundation, Ministry of Tourism, Uttaranchal Tourism, Ministry of Forest- Uttaranchal, Government of India and Himalayan Environment Trust.
| Other initiatives by ATOAI |
| • |
Presentation on India Adventure Tourism products at ITB- Berlin- 2007.
|
| • |
Fellowship Dinners every three months. |
| • |
Adventure Roadshow in the USA in August 2006. |
| • |
Adventure Roadshow in Australia & New Zealand in 2009 |
| • |
Membership drive- Mailers were sent to adventure tour operators in various Indian cities. This resulted in new memberships coming in. |
| Issues taken with/through Ministry of Tourism. |
| • |
Adventure guides training courses in travel & tourism institutes as well as National mountaineering institutes.
|
| • |
Waiver of service tax for adventure tour operators. |
| • |
GPS/sattelite phone use to be allowed. |
| • |
Import of duty free adventure equipements. |
| • |
Opening of a few small airstrips in the Himalayas for better connectivity. |
| • |
Enhancing of insurance cover, rescue & communication facility in the Himalayas. |
| • |
Issues with state tourisms- like Uttarakhand, Ladakh, Sikkim, MP. |
|
| |
|
