Tamil Nadu to see a surge in numbers in adventure tourism

Chennai: With over 31 lakh adventure tourists visiting the country — though a minuscule constitute to those visiting Tamil Nadu, the numbers of adventure seeking tourists, nevertheless, are on the rise.

States like TN, whose presence in the adventure tourism map of India, is rather low, are likely to find opportunities for growth when the Adventure Tour Operators Association of India (ATOAI) spearheads initiatives this year aiming to double the adventure travel in the country in the next two years. The Ministry of Tourism (MoT) has announced 2018 as "The Year of Adventure Tourism."

As per a comprehensive market survey on adventure tourism in India, by the Ministry, the adventure tour operators in India had provided their services and conducted adventure tourism activity bookings for around 27.47 lakhs adventure tourists in 2015. The estimated number of adventure tourist visits in India is around 31 lakhs.

Trekking, camping and wildlife safaris were the most practiced land based adventure activity in the north zone States of Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Uttarakhand and Rajasthan while trekking and wildlife tours were the most practiced land based adventure activity in the south, west and east & north zones.

A majority of domestic adventure tourists in north and east & north-east zone States spent around Rs 20,000 to Rs 30,000 per head per trip for adventure packages while those in south zone and west zone States spent around Rs 10,000 to Rs 20,000 per person per trip for adventure packages. Foreign adventure tourists spent less than US $ 4,000 per head per trip for adventure packages.

Websites \ Internet and friends & relatives are the major source of information about adventure tourism activities and destinations, though in the north previous visit inspired the visitors to take the trip again.