Few names are as synonymous with responsible tourism in India as Raj Basu. For nearly four decades, he has worked with communities across the Indian-Myanmar and Indian-Nepal borders, building bridges between conservation, livelihood, and sustainable adventure. As Convener of the Association for Conservation & Tourism (ACT) — India’s first tourism and conservation NGO — and co-founder of Help Tourism, Basu has been at the forefront of promoting community-based adventure and responsible travel long before they became buzzwords. “When we started, the idea was to empower people at the grassroots through tourism,” he said. “Adventure and conservation are not separate — they depend on each other.”
Speaking at the Adventure Tourism Meet in Shillong, Basu underscored the importance of the event for the region. “It is very important for us to have something like this here,” he said. “Shillong has been the cultural capital of the Northeast for a long time — a true Asian confluence where the Indo-Burma and Eastern Himalayan cultures met. Now, with adventure being added to the mix, it reflects the aspirations of the youth.” He expressed hope that the state would see more adventure institutions and clubs emerge, providing both livelihood and global connectivity for Meghalaya’s youth.
For Basu, tourism is more than recreation — it’s a means of preservation and connection. “When you open up tourism in remote areas, you open up windows to the world,” he explained. “It helps communities connect globally for all the right reasons — for the preservation of culture and nature, and for recognition of their diversity.” He described adventure tourism as part of what he calls the “creative and ecological economy,” where nature acts as the bank and skills become the currency. “That’s the new economy of the world,” he said.
Reflecting on the evolution of India’s adventure sector, Basu noted how earlier it was limited to mountaineering, trekking, and water sports. “In the early days, adventure was controlled by those who knew the modern context but not the local one,” he said. “Now, adventure connects directly to local people — whether it’s bungee jumping, ziplining, or caving, with proper safety and rescue training, locals can participate and run these experiences.”
Basu believes that with skill development and responsible practices, the Northeast can set a global benchmark for sustainable adventure tourism. “Adventure is not just about thrill,” he concluded. “It’s about creating livelihoods, celebrating culture, and protecting the nature that sustains both.”