One of the major concerns that Prime Minister Narendra Modi raised at his first Independence Day address from the ramparts of the Red Fort in 2014, was the idea of having proper toilets, particularly in the villages where people had been defecating in the open.
In the Guidelines on Adventure Tourism, released by K.J. Alphons, Minister of State for Tourism (Independent Charge), in the national capital on Friday, adventure tourists have been warned, that there are very few field toilets in India and one needs to use the bush with utmost care! That is a point repeated in the case of most land and jungle based activities featured in the 174-page guidelines.
The idea of the guidelines was to help India become a “well sought after destination” for which the facilities and support staff should be of global standards. The guidelines pertain to safety and quality norms, and according to Alphons, they “are a beginning to build adventure tourism in India.” He said there was immense potential for adventure tourism in India everywhere from the Himalayas to the coastal regions.
Among the adventure tourism segments covered, 18 activities are land based, seven are air based and six are water based, according to Capt Swadesh Kumar, president of the Adventure Tour Operators Association of India.
The guidelines also give emphasis to the zero garbage policy and have advised the tourists to bring back all garbage to resorts and base camps. The enforcement of this may come as a boon to the country's senior mountaineers, particularly those who have scaled the Everest, and long expressed concern over the garbage at the top. While this is not a legally enforceable part of the guidelines, travel agents say that it has given them a lot of support to ensure their clients fall in line with such instructions like bringing back empty cans and plastic bags.
Tourism secretary Rashmi Verma said the guidelines had been formulated in consultation with stakeholders. They have apparently drawn from international guidelines and standards, some of the guidelines have been adapted from the European All Terrain Vehicle Safety Institute.
Codified in the guidelines are Standard Operating Procedures that cover the entire gamut from documentation to risk mitigation to emergencies and rescue, and details pertaining to safety precautions, training, insurance, role of guide, equipment and gear required, maintenance of the equipment and machinery.