The Aakhya Weekly #153 | India’s Adventure Tourism Needs a Policy Compass

Jun 27, 2025

In Focus: Fixing India’s Adventure Tourism Ecosystem

The allure of discovering new and unexplored terrains, with all their rawness and mystery, captivates every adventurer’s spirit. This is where adventure tourism finds its niche. Once considered a specialist pursuit, adventure tourism in India is now gaining mainstream traction. As more Indians embrace travel, the appetite for adrenaline-charged experiences has surged. However, recent incidents have raised troubling questions about the safety and governance of such activities. These events underscore a deeper systemic failure in how adventure tourism is prioritised, managed, and practised across India’s varied landscapes.

Despite its abundant natural endowments, India lacks a centralised regulatory framework for adventure tourism. At present, safety standards and operational protocols differ widely across states and providers, with no consistent enforcement mechanism. While the Ministry of Tourism has issued guidelines relating to safety and quality, these are advisory rather than mandatory, leaving implementation largely to the discretion of local authorities or private operators. This regulatory gap was tragically highlighted in incidents such as the recent rafting accident in Tehri, Uttarakhand, where the absence of certified instructors and substandard equipment led to avoidable fatalities. In comparison, countries like Brazil and Switzerland enforce mandatory licensing, rigorous safety checks, and real-time risk-monitoring systems, illustrating the need for India to adopt a similarly robust, legally binding framework.

Another pressing challenge is the lack of inter-ministerial coordination and grassroots capacity-building. Adventure tourism intersects with multiple ministries—Tourism, Environment, Tribal Affairs, and Home Affairs—but synergy in policy development and implementation remains limited. Numerous eco-sensitive regions that could serve as adventure hubs remain inaccessible due to delays in forest clearances, a shortage of trained local guides, or jurisdictional ambiguities. Furthermore, the absence of a nationwide database of accredited operators and verified routes means that tourists often depend on informal channels, heightening safety and insurance risks. Without a structured, data-driven policy that integrates local communities, environmental safeguards, and national tourism objectives, India risks missing a valuable opportunity to assert leadership in global adventure tourism.

State-Wise Landscape:

Several states have taken proactive steps to boost adventure tourism. However, much remains to be done. Notable examples include:

Uttarakhand – Sought central assistance to establish glacier and adventure research centres under the Coastal Zone Council.
Odisha – Introduced the Odisha Adventure Tourism Guidelines 2025; mapped sites across all 30 districts; launched the “Go Adventure” portal.
Gujarat – Hosted the Dharoi Adventure Fest (May–July 2025), promoting multi-modal adventure sports and generating seasonal employment.
Arunachal Pradesh – Partnered with NIMAS for training, launched rural homestays, and created new adventure circuits under the ‘Dekho Apna Pradesh’ campaign.
Rajasthan and Kerala – Integrated adventure tourism into state policies, with incentives for private players and eco-conscious tourism frameworks.

What’s Working?

In the absence of a national regulatory structure, some regions have emerged as success stories in India’s adventure tourism landscape. States such as Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh have nurtured localised ecosystems that support activities like white-water rafting, trekking, and paragliding. Rishikesh has become a global hub for rafting and bungee jumping, thanks to effective public-private partnerships and dynamic state promotion. Similarly, Bir Billing has earned international recognition for paragliding, due to sustained investment in infrastructure, safety standards, and global event hosting. The Government of India has also boosted its financial commitment, allocating ₹782.55 crore and ₹517.99 crore under the Swadesh Darshan scheme to promote adventure circuits in the Northeast and Himalayan regions. The scheme, launched in 2014–15, seeks to develop theme-based tourist circuits across the country. India’s "geographical advantage" includes 70% of the Himalayas, 7,000 kilometres of coastline, the 10th largest forest cover globally, and the rare distinction of having both hot and cold deserts. These efforts show that, with the right blend of intent, investment, and implementation, adventure tourism can flourish.

Fragmentation, Safety Lapses, and Missed Opportunities

These localised successes, however, do not reflect the national landscape. The sector suffers from an absence of unified oversight, resulting in inconsistent safety measures, disparate licensing procedures, and a lack of accountability. Countries like New Zealand and Switzerland enforce rigorous centralised regulations for adventure sports, whereas India relies on a fragmented patchwork of state-specific policies—some comprehensive, others barely existent. The safety gap is further widened by a shortage of certified guides, weak emergency response systems, and insufficient insurance coverage. An internal review by the Indian Mountaineering Foundation found that many operators in lesser-known destinations operate without formal training or risk evaluations. Additionally, high-potential states such as Odisha, Chhattisgarh, and Nagaland often lack cohesive tourism strategies to effectively develop and promote their adventure assets. This mismatch between India’s rich geographic potential and its inadequate policy readiness is among the sector’s most critical obstacles.

What Should Be Working

To unlock the full promise of adventure tourism, India must adopt a systems-level strategy. Establishing a Central Adventure Tourism Authority (CATA)—akin to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA)—could standardise safety norms, certify operators, and maintain a public registry of authorised providers. At the same time, local community engagement must be prioritised. Communities should be viewed not merely as beneficiaries but as empowered partners trained in guiding, multilingual communication, wilderness safety, and ecological stewardship.

Proven models exist: in Ladakh, the Chadar Trek has set new benchmarks for high-altitude safety through mandatory medical checks; in Karnataka’s Dandeli, community-led eco-tourism has made rafting sustainable and profitable. In offbeat destinations like Nagaland’s Dzukou Valley, tourism integrated with homestays and conservation initiatives has shown tangible results. Technological tools—such as GPS-based navigation, real-time distress alerts, and easy-access insurance kiosks—can further reinforce a secure and scalable adventure ecosystem.

The Missing Link in Policy Pilots and Implementation

One of the key challenges hindering India’s adventure tourism evolution is the absence of a cohesive, mission-driven institutional framework. While programmes like Swadesh Darshan and Dekho Apna Desh offer thematic tourism development, adventure tourism continues to operate in silos. States like Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh have formulated independent adventure policies; however, weak interdepartmental coordination and the lack of a central certifying agency often impede execution. A closer examination of policy pilot failures reveals a pattern: frameworks are typically top-down, designed without sufficient input from grassroots stakeholders such as guides, ecologists, and safety experts. This results in generic and poorly enforced guidelines. The vacuum created by the absence of a national regulator has led to unchecked self-regulation in what is inherently a high-risk industry. A viable way forward could involve leveraging District Skill Committees (DSCs) under the Skill India Mission to create region-specific adventure training and certification modules, thereby fostering local employment and bolstering safety infrastructure.

Mobilising India’s Maritime Legacy

India’s adventure tourism assets are not solely geographical; they are also deeply cultural. With a 7,500 km coastline and a storied maritime tradition, India has untapped potential to incorporate sea-based exploration and maritime heritage into its adventure narrative. Unfortunately, this dimension remains largely peripheral in policy. In contrast, Southeast Asian nations like Indonesia and Thailand have transformed their coastal areas into global water-sport destinations through strategic public-private partnerships and international training collaborations. India has yet to fully leverage its coastal edge. Aligning maritime programmes like the Sagarmala initiative and the Blue Economy Task Force with tourism policy could spur the creation of water-based adventure clusters. Moreover, cultural MoUs with nations such as Greece or Portugal—which share maritime legacies—could enable collaborative training models. The gap lies not in vision, but in cohesive, cross-sectoral implementation.

Closing Thoughts

India’s adventure tourism sector stands at a critical juncture. With its dramatic topography and a growing, youth-driven market, the country has all the makings of a global leader. However, in the absence of a coherent policy framework, enforceable safety standards, and inclusive infrastructure, the adventure could too easily become a liability.

A comprehensive, data-informed, and stakeholder-inclusive strategy will not only position India as a global adventure tourism powerhouse but also ensure that the thrill is coupled with trust.

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