Making adventure tourism safer

Parth Joshi

As the brief weather window between late spring and pre-monsoon opened up, I was buoyant, packed and ready to depart on a two-week expedition to Kalindi Khal, a high-altitude pass in Uttarakhand connecting the holy shrines of Gangotri and Badrinath, when the news came that nine trekkers had died after being caught in a blizzard while on a trek to Sahastra Tal. It’s a high-altitude lake in Uttarkashi district not very far from where we were planning to hike.

A few weeks later, another grave tragedy was averted in the neighbouring state of Himachal Pradesh. More than a hundred trekkers were left stranded in the middle of a trek to Hamta Pass, connecting the valleys of Kullu and Spiti, abandoned by their trekking guides who found themselves overburdened with the logistics.

These are not one-off events. This year itself, a woman lost her life while paragliding in Kullu as her harness broke off mid-air, and two tourists died while rafting near Rishikesh, swept off by a strong river current.

Every year, we see an increasing number of fatalities across the adventure tourism sector in the country. While some of these involve seasoned adventurers succumbing to unforeseen events or elements, a majority of these cases are avoidable situations, symptomatic of the disarray the industry finds itself in. It calls upon policymakers, the industry and civil society to introspect on the immediate and long-term measures to ensure the sustainability of one of the fastest growing segments in the Indian tourism market.

Changing priorities

The early 1990s saw the rise of adventure tourism in India, as young adventurers, driven by a passion for the outdoors, turned into entrepreneurs. Foreigners and upmarket Indians with a taste for nature were their primary clientele. These yesteryears were perhaps the golden days of the industry, with meticulous planning that relied on experts rather than the Internet, and customers who were driven by their passion for the outdoors rather than peer pressure.

From there, things snowballed into a state of degeneration pretty fast. A rapid surge in infrastructure improved connectivity by leaps and bounds, from highways to airports, while the IT revolution brought in a new consumer segment of young people riding a wave of surge in disposable incomes eager for some adrenaline rush. Then came social media, with its curated feeds glamorising adventure while conveniently omitting the risks and preparation involved, inciting people to attempt activities beyond their skill level.

Statistically, we may say the adventure tourism sector is at an all-time high. The global market size was valued at $282.1 billion in 2021 and projected to expand at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 15.2 per cent from 2022 to 2030. It is creating local employment, especially for youth, and putting hitherto unknown destinations on the map.

Yet, this may be a ticking time bomb. Unsustainable adventure activities pose a grave risk to both the environment as well as human safety. Look at the case of Antarctica, where tourist numbers have exploded from around 7,000 in 1996 to almost 1,00,000, with the carbon footprint of each tourist arrival equalling a snow loss of 75 tonnes. Or Mount Everest, where overcrowding at altitudes above 8,000 metres, once unimaginable, is leading to an increasing number of tourist deaths.

When it comes to India, these incidents are increasingly prompting an impulsive and overtly cautious reaction from the authorities, focusing on immediate response but lacking in foresight. Take the example of the Uttarakhand High Court ban on camping in alpine meadows in the state in 2018, or a blanket ban on all treks in Kinnaur district in Himachal Pradesh in the wake of inclement weather in 2021. In fairness, this is often prompted by a lack of support infrastructure and human resource. Yet, it does not bode well either for the industry or the adventure community if such instances start becoming the norm rather than an exception.

There are four key areas we can focus on to strengthen the foundations of the adventure tourism industry — strong policies and operational standards, human resource, support infrastructure and consumer behaviour.

At present, we have the National Adventure Tourism Strategy released by the Ministry of Tourism in 2022 and the Indian Adventure Tourism Guidelines formulated by the Adventure Tour Operators Association of India in 2018 as guiding policy documents. Some states have their own adventure tourism policies or guidelines. While all of these try to establish a scope of the industry and a vision for its growth, they need to be supplemented with robust operational standards and guidelines, coupled with institutions that can enforce them upon the industry.

For instance, look at the Austrian Alpine Association (OeAV), a renowned organisation dedicated to mountaineering and alpine safety in Austria. It offers a comprehensive training programme for mountain guides, ensuring high competency across the profession. The OeAV also maintains and operates a vast network of mountain huts that provide vital refuge and support for hikers and climbers in the Alps. Or the European Commission Adventure Tourism Safety Guidelines, an initiative to harmonise safety standards across the European Union for different adventure activities, emphasising on risk assessment, guide qualifications, emergency response plans, and participant information.

We only have a handful of such training institutes in India, that too with limited teaching and infrastructural capabilities. In a large country like ours which has a diversity of biogeographic regions, each with their own portfolio of adventure activities, we need to consider at least one such institution in each state. Furthermore, these institutes need to be able to engage with their peers globally, through exposure visits and knowledge exchange. We should aspire for Indian adventure guides to be competent enough to ply their trade globally, like their Nepalese or European counterparts.

Similar standards need to be enforced for classification and maintenance of equipment, which can follow those set by internationally renowned organisations like the International Climbing and Mountaineering Federation (UIAA) or the International Rafting Federation (IRF).

Need to redefine roles

It is important to note that enforcing such standards requires the government to play the role of a market regulator. In the current scenario where price-based competition is leading to compromises in equipment quality and deployment of quality human resource, establishing minimum price ceilings, at least in the short term, can provide a regulatory oversight to ensure that the industry complies with and performs to global standards. Look at the case of Bhutan, where establishing minimum per day tariffs for foreign tourists enabled tour operators to provide high quality services while ensuring that the tourist numbers remain sustainable.

The government also needs to play the role of a market enabler to create a robust safety and support infrastructure. Even today, we only have a handful of private operators providing heli-rescue or other emergency evacuation services, or insurance companies providing comprehensive outdoor insurance. This leads to most rescue operations falling upon the armed forces or the state disaster management authorities, who have limited infrastructure and resources to spare. Using fiscal incentives like tax credits, subsidies or guaranteed contracts can lower the initial investment risk for private companies, encouraging them to enter these markets.

We can also develop a market for ancillary services. Take the case of weather forecasts. Adventure tourism relies heavily on the ability to predict the weather and preparing for associated risks. Activities like mountaineering demand highly accurate weather forecasts down to the hour, for which most operators are willing to pay a premium. This could be a potential entry point for tech entrepreneurs working in the domain of geospatial applications. Adventure tourism will greatly benefit by adopting the ‘Make in India’ approach, which is accelerating growth in the manufacturing sector.

Consumer responsibility is another crucial aspect. While governments and operators have a role to play in establishing strong safety measures, the onus also falls on consumers to be informed and prepared. Social media’s curated portrayal of adventure tourism often glosses over the inherent risks. As we can see from all those fatalities on Mount Everest, no amount of money or Sherpas are sufficient to safeguard one’s life in the absence of adequate physical preparation, and adherence to safety standards.

While on a trip a few years back to climb Stok Kangri, one of the most popular trekking peaks in Ladakh standing a little over 6,100 metres, I was appalled to find out that because of human waste, one could not drink water from the streams flowing along the camps, forcing one to buy plastic mineral water bottles. This went against the entire purpose of going outdoors, being able to enjoy nature in all its purity. That one could also buy a bottle of beer for a relatively measly sum of Rs 300 at the base camp in the middle of nowhere was another matter. Cut to today, all trekking activity is completely banned in the region, plagued by water scarcity and unmanageable waste. A classic example of why not to spoil the well from which you drink.

We do not need any more Sahastra Tals or Stok Kangris. This requires strong policies and regulations by the government, ambition and professionalism from the industry, and responsible behaviour by the consumer. Risk is an inherent part of adventure, but so can be risk preparedness.

— The writer is a climate expert and outdoor enthusiast