In his interaction with FinancialExpress.com, Raj Basu, a veteran in the field of responsible tourism, particularly in the Northeast, talked about how the Adventure Tourism Meet in Shillong was a wonderful day of interactions. He noted that the who’s who of the adventure and responsible tourism industry were in attendance at the Meet from all over the Northeast and the rest of the country as well. It was like the getting together of a big family, he said.
Mr Basu also spoke about the pivotal importance of Shillong, especially for the Northeast, because it has always been the hub for thinkers, intellectuals and all important activities related to the Northeast. The best thing about the Meet was that it brought everyone from policy makers to industry heads to the youth on one common platform, he said. Apart from discussing policy matters, the Meet also focussed on the importance of sustainability in the field of adventure tourism.
The importance of adventure tourism lies in boosting local economies, since locals always benefit with the introduction of adventure activities in an area. This is true across the country, he said.
Mr Basu also talked about how it is easy to create a destination but tough to keep it going and make it sustainable. Among the other takeaways from the Adventure Tourism Meet, he talked about the importance of keeping a destination’s capacity in mind so it does not suffer from overtourism.
On adventure tourism in India, he spoke about how expansive the category is, going beyond land and water-based sports, and including popular activities like wildlife tourism, birding, rural tourism and World War Two pilgrimages.
Adventure is the backbone of special interest tourism, he emphasised. He was pleased that the Meet reiterated the importance of local communities taking the maximum stake in adventure activities. India has taken a lead in this, he said, adding that most people associated with adventure tourism are aligned to this, although there is a long way to go because certain SOPs need to be put in place and rescue systems need to be developed. This is something that needs to be done right after the conclusion of the Meet.
An important point Mr Basu made was about the traditional circuits in Meghalaya where guests usually enter from Guwahati and head to Shillong. He proposed an alternative entry where Bodoland could become the gateway to Meghalaya. So, while leisure tourists can continue to use the popular Guwahati-Shillong approach, the more adventure-minded visitors can go to Bodoland first, and enter Meghalaya through the Garo Hills, ultimately moving to Shillong, which would remain the point of convergence for all tourists. He also talked about some of the great adventure offerings of Meghalaya.
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