Tag Archives: ATOAI

ATOAI’s AGM 2023-24 saw historic unanimous election of a woman candidate Arshdeep Anand as Vice President on its national leadership team for the term 2024-26. Meanwhile, Ajeet Bajaj was re-elected as President. Other elected office bearers include Vaibhav Kala as Senior VP; Ronny Gulati as Hon. Secretary; and Nirat Bhatt as Hon. Treasurer.

The 16th Annual Convention of the Adventure Tour Operators Association of India (ATOAI) is scheduled to take place from 3-8 December, 2024 in the panoramic town of Tawang. This year’s event promises to be a memorable journey of networking, learning and adventure with a focus on sustainable tourism, safety protocols and extraordinary travel experiences. Industry leaders will have the opportunity to network while exploring the breathtaking beauty of Arunachal Pradesh.

The Adventure Tour Operators Association of India (ATOAI) concluded its highly anticipated webinar on 27 August 2024,  titled “Safe Journeys: Enhancing Women’s Safety in Tourism.” Organised by the ATOAI Women’s Collective and supported by the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India, the event marked a significant milestone in the pursuit of safer travel for women. The event saw a robust attendance from various segments of the travel trade, including tour operators, travel agents, and hospitality professionals. Representatives from state tourism departments, along with senior officials from the Ministry of Tourism, also participated, underscoring the significance of the event. Mugdha Sinha, Director General, Ministry of Tourism, Government of India in her opening remarks, emphasised the importance of creating a safe and inclusive environment for women, both as travellers and professionals within the tourism industry. She highlighted the Ministry’s ongoing commitment to addressing safety concerns and promoting gender equality across all levels of the sector. The distinguished panel of experts, Hannah Pearson, Regional Director APAC, Adventure Travel Trade Association (ATTA), Dilshad Master Kumar, Director Bull’s Adventures & Outward-Bound India Himalaya, Outdoors Leader, TEDx Speaker and Mohit Aggarwal, CEO, Asian Adventures shared profound insights and forward-thinking strategies on safeguarding women in the tourism sector. The discussion left participants with a deeper understanding of the challenges and opportunities involved in enhancing women’s safety within this industry. The key takeaways from the session included several critical areas essential for advancing women’s safety in tourism: First, the importance of adhering to internationally recognised Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) was emphasised. These guidelines help ensure consistent and reliable safety practices across different regions and sectors, creating a unified approach that travellers and service providers can trust. Second, the …

Ajeet Bajaj, President, ATOAI said, “We aim to make India amongst the top 10 adventure tourism destination in the world. Border tourism, sports tourism, adventure tourism will boost inbound tourism as well as foster India to become adventure tourism hub.

ATOAI conducted its first regional event after covid in Mumbai yesterday. It started with a seminar followed by an adventire tourism roadshow where 13 sellers met with more than 160 buyers from mumbai. The seminar focuses on key topics such as best practices in adventure, safety and insurance in adventure travel.

ATOAI Seminar & Adventure Tourism Roadshow scheduled to take place on 13th July in Mumbai. This eagerly awaited event promises to be great chance for adventure enthusiasts, travel professionals, and industry stakeholders from India, to come together, exchange knowledge, and develop connections within the adventure tourism sector. Offering an ideal platform for participants to share best practices, learn from industry experts, and explore different world of adventure travel altogether. With intend of enhancing skills in selling products, attendees will have the chance to attend interactive sessions dedicated for best practices and effective sales techniques. These sessions will provide valuable insights in marketing and selling experiences, enabling participants to reach new heights in their business ventures. Certified First Aid, CPR & Wilderness Responder & Responsible Adventure Travel course is a two-day program of 16 hours. It is certified course aimed at providing participants with the necessary skills to respond to emergency situations in the wilderness. 30 participants were certified. Ajeet Bajaj, President, ATOAI, expressing his excitement, said, “We are excited to bring together adventure travel enthusiasts, industry professionals, and stakeholders at the ATOAI Seminar & Adventure Tourism Roadshow. This event aims to promote best practices, provide valuable insights, and facilitate networking opportunities within the adventure tourism community”. “We look forward to creating a platform that encourages the growth of adventure tourism in India and showcases the incredible adventures our country has to offer,” he furthermore added. Key Highlights Chance to meet authentic sellers of adventure products. With range of exhibitors showcasing their offerings, attendees will gain first-hand knowledge of the thrilling adventure tourism experiences available in India. Adventure Sports Cover 360 is ATOAI Adventure Insurance and Rescue Partner for these regional …

The Adventure Tour Operators Association of India (ATOAI) in collaboration with the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) organized a six-day Disaster Management Course from 30th January 2022 to 4th February 2023 at 8 Battalion, NDRF, Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh for adventure guides. The adventure guides from across the country successfully completed the 6-day course on Disaster Management, Search & Rescue, First Aid & CPR, Fire Safety, Water Emergencies, Snake & Animal Bites, Group Exercises / Leadership, communication skills and related topics. The adventure guides were awarded certificates on completion of the course by Commandant Praveen Kumar Tiwary, Commandant 8th Battalion NDRF. The adventure guides were also made honorary wardens for keeping ‘the great outdoors’ pristine and to ensure that ATOAI safety guidelines are followed in letter and spirit. Commandant Praveen Kumar Tiwary says “NDRF is known for its professional acumen in the field of disaster response and rescue operations. This course is going to be a force multiplier for the participants. The people associated with adventure sports are passionate and having tremendous set of skills. This course is certainly going to help them in their future endeavours. The training imparted in this course will enable them to respond effectively in trying times”. Speaking to the adventure guides at NDRF Mr. Ajeet Bajaj, President, ATOAI said “ATOAI has always endeavoured to be a ‘Force for Good’ for our country and tried to pitch in during natural disasters. This is the value system ATOAI stands for and these training sessions will enable adventure guides who are trained professionals and spread across the country, to be force multipliers for rescue and support during natural disasters. This will also up-skill adventure professionals/ guides in providing …

Ajeet Bajaj, President, ATOAI, has said that setting up the National Board for Adventure Tourism by the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India, is a welcome step, “We have already had two board meetings and are gaining momentum. This inter-ministerial board with state governments’ participation will help resolve many issues pertaining to adventure tourism in India.”

The Adventure Tour Operators Association of India has always believed in promoting adventure tourism in a safe and sustainable manner and aims to create this awareness and mitigate risk in adventure tourism activities. ATOAI is delighted to announce that the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) is organizing a Disaster Management Course for ATOAI Adventure Guides. 40 adventure guides with a minimum experience of 5 years will be trained by NDRF from 30th January 2022 to 4th February 2023 at 8 Battalion, NDRF, Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh.   The Adventure guides will be trained on: Disaster Management Search & Rescue First Aid & CPR. Fire Safety Water Emergencies Snake & Animal Bite Group Exercise / Leadership Miscellaneous & General Topics This course will be a force multiplier in providing rescue and support during natural disasters in our country and will also up skill adventure professionals / guides in providing safer adventure experiences to adventure tourists. ATOAI believes that such initiatives will go a long way in bringing India on top of the preferred adventure tourism destinations in the world. Adventure guides doing the program will also be made honorary wardens for keeping ‘the great outdoors’ pristine and ensure that the ATOAI safety guidelines are followed in letter and spirit.

ATOAI organised its 26th Virtual Members Meet recently, where they introduced ATOAI Member Advantage Card. The card will empower its members in their marketing, sourcing, contracting and lowest possible B2B purchases enhancing their profitability.