Adventure Tourism

Adventure Tourism in Jammu and Kashmir

Jammu and Kashmir is an ideal place for adventure and sports tourism. The most popular
tourist activities in Kashmir include camping, surfing, whitewater rafting, backpacking,
kayaking, bicycling, canoe trips, snow skiing, fishing, skiing, hunting, water skiing, rock
climbing, hiking, snow boarding trans-Himalayan jeep safaris and paragliding. Gulmarg in
Jammu and Kashmir has one of the world`s highest green golf courses, as well as a
clubhouse, which is a historical building in its own right. For the would-be golfer, there are
golf sets on hire, pros to coach one in the game, and provisional memberships. A range of
rafting options is available on the Indus and its major tributaries. The best stretch for
professionally guided runs in white water is on the Indus between Spituk and Saspol. Beyond
Saspol, the river becomes difficult and requires technically skilled participants and careful
organisation. Upward of Spituk, the Indus has the easiest stretch up to Karu, ideal for basic
training and for day-return "scenic floating" for amateurs. Trekking possibilities include
short, daylong walks up and down mountain slopes to visit isolated villages or monastic
settlements, or across a ridge to enjoy the sheer beauty of the lunar mountains cape. Long,
trans-mountain treks involving weeks of walking and camping in the wilderness can be quite
thrilling experience. For example, the trek from Lamayuru in the Indus valley to Darcha in
Lahaul across Zanskar takes nearly three weeks. Most of the established routes traverse the
Zanskar range, which separates the Indus valley from Zanskar. Jammu and Kashmir Tourism
has introduced Paragliding at Sanasar and Jammu. Equipment can be hired from the tourist
office in Jammu city. May, June, September and October are suitable months for paragliding
at Sanasar which is situated 19-km from Patnitop with a good approachable road and
transport links. One can reach Sanasar from Jammu via Kud and Patnitop by bus or taxi.
Fishing is big commerce in Jammu and Kashmir through spring and summer. The British
pioneered the brown and rainbow trout to the streams of Kashmir, where they have thrived.
At the same time they introduced the system of anglers reserving ` beats` on their favourite
river. Reservations for beats should be made before one arrives in Jammu and Kashmir,
through an Indian Government Tourist Office or directly to the Tourist Reception Centre in
Srinagar.
Visiting information on Jammu and Kashmir

How to reach Jammu and Kashmir

Travelling to Jammu and Kashmir is quite easy and the place is accessible by air, railways and roadways.

By Air
Airport of Jammu and Kashmir is located in the city of Jammu. Airlines from Jammu are well linked with
most of the important cities of India, such as Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata. All major airlines like the Indian
airlines and the Jet airways operate their flights to Jammu on a regular basis.

By Rail
The most vital railway station in the whole state of Jammu and Kashmir is that of Jammu and is known as
Jammu Tawi station. The station is well connected with almost all the key cities of India such as Delhi,
Mumbai and Kolkata.

By Road
The road network system of Jammu and Kashmir is excellent and connects the state with all major cities like
Delhi, Amritsar, Chandigarh, Ludhiana, Jalandhar, Shimla, etc.

The state of Jammu and Kashmir is one of the most vibrant shopping destinations of India. The arts and
crafts are the most shopped stuffs in the state. The traditional clothes are also very well-liked among
travellers. The Papier Mache objects are exclusive of the state of Jammu and Kashmir. Made of paper and
card board, these objects are a must buy among the visitors. Items available in this material are souvenirs
like pen stand, wall hangings, table lamps, fancy glasses and other decorative. Wooden items made of
walnut wood are a great favourite among the tourists. Jewellery boxes, pen stands, table lamps, portraits, and
numerable showpieces made of this wood, are obtainable in the markets of Jammu and Kashmir. The
Pashmina shawls are a main attraction of this state. Silk sarees is the other item that is famous for its quality
and sophistication. The best time to visit Kashmir is during the months of March to October. The weather
during this time is at its best. There are excellent accommodation facilities for the tourists in Jammu and
Kashmir. Both luxury and budget hotels are available here which provide comfortable rooms for its guests
that are supplied with every modern day comfort.
Tourism is the largest service industry in India, with a contribution of 6.23% to the national
GDP and 8.78% of the total employment in India. India witnesses more than 5 million
annual foreign tourist arrivals and 562 million domestic tourism visits.[1] The tourism
industry in India generated about US$100 billion in 2008 and that is expected to increase to
US$275.5 billion by 2018 at a 9.4% annual growth rate.[2] The Ministry of Tourism is the
nodal agency for the development and promotion of tourism in India and maintains the
"Incredible India" campaign.

According to World Travel and Tourism Council, India will be a tourism hotspot from 2009–
2018,[3] having the highest 10-year growth potential.[4] The Travel & Tourism
Competitiveness Report 2007 ranked tourism in India 6th in terms of price competitiveness
and 39th in terms of safety and security.[5] Despite short- and medium-term setbacks, such as
shortage of hotel rooms,[6] tourism revenues are expected to surge by 42% from 2007 to
2017.[7]

India has a growing medical tourism sector. The 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi are
expected to significantly boost tourism in India.

Jammu and Kashmir is the northernmost state of India. Jammu is noted for its scenic
landscape, ancient temples, Hindu shrines, castles, gardens and forts. The Hindu holy shrines
of Amarnath in kashmir attracts about .4 million Hindu devotees every year . Vaishno Devi
alsoattract tens of thousands of Hindu devotees every year. Jammu's historic monuments
feature a unique blend of Islamic and Hindu architecture styles.

Tourism forms an integral part of the Kashmiri economy. Often dubbed "Paradise on Earth",
Kashmir's mountainous landscape has attracted tourists for centuries. Notable places are Dal
Lake, Srinagar Phalagam, Gulmarg, Yeusmarg and Mughal Gardens etc. Kashmir's natural
landscape has made it one of the popular destinations for adventure tourism in South
Asia.Marked by four distinct seasons,Ski enthusiasts can enjoy the exotic himalayan powder
during winters. 7000000 tourists arrived in kashmir in the months of April,May and June
alone

In recent years, Ladakh has emerged as a major hub for adventure tourism. This part of
Greater Himalaya called "moon on earth" comprising of naked peaks and deep gorges was
once known for the silk route to High Asia from the subcontinent. Leh is also a growing
tourist spot.

As the adventure industry grows, Xola believes it has the potential to positively transform people,
environments and economies. Through a number of initiatives, the Xola team is seeking to build awareness
for the adventure tourism industry as a source of important human, economic and environmental
development. To learn more about 2009 initiatives, contact us.

The development of adventure tourism markets can be a catalyst, sparking economic growth across multiple
industries in destinations where it is given strategic focus. In addition, the adventure tourism industry breeds
local "changemakers"—social entrepreneurs whose leadership is transforming communities across the
globe.
The charts below illustrate the specific issues holding poor regions back economically and socially, and how
adventure tourism market development can contribute to solving these issues.

In recent years, there has been explosive growth in adventure tourism, with large numbers of consumers
seeking novel, challenging and exciting adventure experiences while on holiday. Specialized adventure
operators have emerged to cater for this demand, with a diverse range of commercialized activities now
available. Adventure tourism demand is predicted to grow at around 15% per year (Burak, 1998), and as
demand grows, adventure travel companies are urging consumers to go higher, harder, stronger and longer
to gain the “ultimate” experience. Unfortunately, despite this growing demand, symbiotically there are large
numbers of new companies joining the adventure industry and this is putting pressure on resources. As a
result, competitive market pressures are forcing adventure tourism operators to cut corners in order to
remain financially viable, and issues such as sustainability of It is contended in this paper that natural
resources come to the fore. many adventure tour companies are operating “close to the edge” in terms of
their operating practices, indicating a short-term perspective for the industry. Adventure tour operators need
to address the critical issues of: protecting the natural environment; protecting tourists from potential risks;
and protecting long-term market share through better understanding adventure customers' needs and wants.
If adventure tourism operators address these issues now, it will help to provide a long-term and sustainable
future for this sector of the tourism industry.

Most "Research Update" columns in Parks & Recreation magazine focus on sharing the findings from peer-
reviewed journals in recreation and leisure services. This month's offering represents a departure from
previous columns by gleaning nature tourism or adventure travel information from several large surveys
commissioned by industry-affiliated associations or organizations.

Conducted by private-sector research firms, these surveys are usually descriptive in nature and include
relatively less methodological information than most journal publications. Nevertheless, these reports
provide important "snapshots" of components of the burgeoning tourism industry. Internet technology
makes these heretofore inaccessible reports much more available. Executive summaries and excerpts from
each of the surveys are posted on the Web site of sponsoring organizations or associations. In keeping with
their sponsorship, however, few of the reports are free.

Tourism is a large and growing industry, but all outdoor recreation is not tourism, and vice versa. This
"Research Update" highlights surveys commissioned or sponsored by the Recreation Roundtable/American
Recreation Coalition, Outdoor Retailer magazine, the Travel Industry Association of America, and Travel
Industries. So skim for topics and trends of interest, and visit the appropriate Web sites for more
information.

Tourism Works For America

"Tourism Works for America 1998" is the eighth annual compilation of tourism and travel industry
statistics. Produced by the Travel Industry Association of America, "Tourism Works" includes data from
more than 80 sources, and serves as an "essential publication about the U.S. tourism industry." As the
nation's top service export and one of its largest employers, tourism represents a clean and growing form of
economic development suitable for urban and rural areas. "Tourism Works" reported that Americans took
1.26 billion person-trips in 1997, up 8 percent from the year before. Visitor spent $502.4 billion in 1997,
supporting 7 million jobs and generating $71.1 billion in taxes.

Pleasure travel accounted for 71 percent of all U.S. residential travel. Primary purposes of pleasure travel
included visiting friends and relatives, entertainment, and outdoor recreation (15 percent). Based on the
importance of outdoor recreation as a travel motivator, the last section of the report, "Recreation and
Sports," includes visitation and economic-impact data for national and state parks as well as national forests
and other public lands. Short summaries on snow sports, boating, and adventure travel provide participation
and economic-impact figures to illustrate the role and scope of these outdoor recreation activities.

More than 50 million skier/snowboarder visits were reported by the 507 ski resorts operating in the United
States in the 1996-97 season. The number of skiers remained fairly constant, but snowboarding exploded,
boasting a 150 percent increase in participation over six years and becoming the fastest growing snow sport.
The largest component of snow-related expenditures, according to SnowSports Industries America, was
travel and entertainment. Individual snowmobile enthusiasts spent about $2,500 on snowmobile-related
expenditures and logged about 1,200 miles on their machines during the same period.

Recreational boats represent a big-ticket equipment purchase and are, therefore, important to resellers,
marina operators, and boating enthusiasts. Approximately 78 million Americans went boating in 1997,
spending almost $20 billion. Fishing, which accounts for nearly half of all recreational boating, remains the
favorite activity of boaters.

The adventure travel data reported in "Tourism Works" was derived from a report of the same name
produced by the Travel Industry Association of America. Based on the growth and importance of adventure
travel, it is summarized in the next section.

TIA Traveler Profiles

In 1997 and '98, the Travel Industry Association of America released a series of traveler profiles derived
from TIA's National Travel Survey. Highlights from the Adventure Travel Report will be mentioned in this
"Research Update." TIA also produced profiles on historical/cultural travelers, weekend travelers, gamblers,
hotel/motel travelers, mature travelers and minority travelers.

The "1997 Adventure Travel Report" provided the most information about outdoor recreation-oriented
travel. The report noted that about 50 percent of this country's adult population had taken an adventure
vacation sometime in the past five years. Distinguishing between hard (white-water rafting/kayaking,
snorkeling/scuba, mountain biking) and soft (camping and hiking) adventure activities, the research found
that soft adventure vacations occurred about three times more frequently than hard adventure vacations.

In terms of demographics, the soft adventure travelers were akin to the total U.S. traveling population. The
hard adventure travelers, though fewer, were more likely to report an adventure activity as the primary trip
motivator. About 25 percent of all adventure travelers conceded that the adventure activity was not a
primary motivator to take a vacation, rather it was an activity undertaken while traveling. Local, regional,
state, and federal parks; forests; and public lands serve as the "venues" for many adventure tourism
excursions. There is growing recognition of this role in public-lands policy decisions.

Outdoor Recreation in America 1998[C]

Since 1993, the Recreation Roundtable, an industry association affiliated with the American Recreation
Coalition, has commissioned Roper Starch Worldwide to conduct surveys of the American population's
outdoor recreation activities and attitudes. The 1998 survey reported data collected through in-home, in-
person interviews of two representative nationwide cross sections totaling almost 4,000 people over the age
of 18. Interviews were conducted in March and April 1998.

As with previous surveys, "Outdoor Recreation in America 1998" contains a wealth of outdoor recreation
data. Patterns, participation rates, and preferences are well documented in the report. Several sections relate
specifically to outdoor recreation and tourism. In the 12 months before the interviews were conducted, for
example, 31 percent of respondents had taken an outdoor recreation vacation. More importantly, 55 percent
of the "influentials," a small but important subset of respondents tracked by Roper Starch as opinion leaders,
took an outdoor recreation vacation. However, several measures of satisfaction -- vacation value, quality of
service provided by employees, and activities/instruction available -- were down compared with previous
years.

Consistent with most recreation and tourism research, outdoor recreation vacations satisfied vacationers'
desire for fun, relaxation, stress relief, experiences with nature, and exercise. Satisfaction measures for two
social components of the outdoor recreation vacation, "family togetherness" and "being with friends," also
increased. "Fun," "Experiencing nature," and "Being with friends" showed the greatest increases in
satisfaction between 1995 and '98. In general, respondents who reported higher levels of income and
education were more satisfied with their outdoor recreation vacations.

In 1998, the survey also included special sections on fees and charges and the public's awareness of the
availability of outdoor recreation opportunities on public lands managed by federal agencies. Respondents
were most familiar with recreation opportunities available at National Park Service sites. Other federal
resource agencies that were identified by more than 50 percent of the respondents as recreation providers
included the USDI Fish and Wildlife Service and the USDA Forest Service. Men were more likely than
women to be aware of recreation opportunities on public lands, as were respondents reporting higher levels
of education and income when compared to disadvantaged respondents.

Active recreationists, defined as monthly participants in outdoor recreation, were familiar with opportunities
available on public lands. About one-third of the respondents reported visiting a federal site during the past
year. Not surprisingly, folks in the Midwest and West reported greater usage of federally managed public
lands

The need to increase the amount of money available for recreation management has led to a growth in the
fees and charges for recreation. Users of public lands were generally willing to pay additional fees to use
federal lands. Active recreationists and Americans reporting high satisfaction with their experiences were
willing to pay more to recreate on federally managed lands.

Visitors to different types of federally managed public lands had different profiles. Visitors to Fish and
Wildlife and Army Corps of Engineers sites, for example, were more likely to fish and hunt. Forest Service
visitors, on the other hand, were more likely to picnic, visit cultural sites, and engage in outdoor
photography. Bureau of Land Management recreationists were much more likely to participate in off-road-
vehicle use and motorcycling. National Park Service visitors, though more active than the average
American, are "the most moderate participants in outdoor recreation activities of all the federal site visitor
groups."

The State of Outdoor Retail

Of course all of this outdoor recreation activity requires time, travel, and equipment. Outdoor Retailer
magazine's "State of the Market" survey reported 1998 sales of $4.8 billion in the outdoor specialty market,
a niche component of the outdoor recreation and sporting goods industry. Backpacking and camping were
the only activities marketed by more than 50 percent of the responding outdoor specialty retailers.

Adventure travel, tied in fourth position with rock climbing, was marketed as an outdoor recreation activity
by 32 percent of respondents. Travel luggage appeared in the "Top Ten" list of products sold by outdoor
specialty retailers, proving that outdoor retailers, not generally considered part of the "travel industry," are
dearly and positively impacted by tourism.

Responding outdoor recreation retailers were quintessential small businesses: small (76 percent reported less
than $1 million in annual sales), stable (67 percent had been in business longer than 10 years),
technologically savvy (almost 40 percent boasted Web sites), independent (68 percent stand-alone)
businesses with an active sales force that practices what it preaches. Strong supporters of conservation and
education, more than one-third of the "retailers allow employees time off to participate in related programs"
and "participate in maintenance or clean up of trails, beaches and rivers."

1996 Sports Participation

Most of the data reported in the National Sporting Goods Association's "1996 Sports Participation" survey
will be of interest to active recreation and sports programming professionals. Drawn from the responses of
35,000 households (and oversampled to ensure a return sample representative of sponsors' keen interest in
certain "characteristics determined to be key indicators of general purchase behavior"), these data
dramatically illustrate the increase of inline skating, skateboarding, and snowboarding among 7- to 17-year-
old sports participants. Participation and purchasing behavior .in 57 sports, ranging from aerobic exercise to
windsurfing, is available from the NSGA.

Although many of the 57 sports are related to outdoor recreation (camping, fishing, hiking, mountain biking,
scuba diving), only one, camping (vacation/ overnight), explicitly includes an overnight stay. Up 4.3 percent
(46.6 million participants), camping is the fourth most common activity in the survey. (Walking for exercise,
swimming, and exercising with equipment are the top three.)

Perhaps of greater interest to outdoor recreation and tourism planners are the high-volume, high-growth
sports the NSGA survey tracked. Outdoor activities to keep a watchful eye on include the aforementioned
camping, hiking (28.4 million participants, up 7.2 percent over the prior year), backpacking (12 million
participants, up 4.7 percent), and mountain biking (8.1 million participants, up 11.4 percent). Skateboarding
(6.3 million participants, up 35.8 percent), with its popularity among the under-17 age group, is also a key
indicator.

References

Gabbard, A. 1998. The 1998 State of The Market: A Retail Perspective Of The Outdoor Industry. Outdoor
Retailer. www. outdoorbiz.com

National Sporting Goods Association. 1996. Sports Participation in 1996.

www.nsga.org/research/research.html

Recreation Roundtable. 1998. Outdoor Recreation in America 1998(D. Roper Starch Worldwide.
www.funoutdoors.com
Minic, D. (Ed). 1998. Tourism Works For America 1998. Travel Industry Association of America.
Washington, D.C. www.tia.org

RELATED ARTICLE: Research Into Action: Trends in the Out of Doors

Research Into Action is published monthly by the Society of Park and Recreation Educators, National
Recreation and Park Association. As an accompaniment to "Research Update," its goal is to turn research
findings into field action by highlighting management strategies. Founding editors are Dr. Ruth Russell and
Dr. Daniel D. McLean, Department of Recreation and Park Administration, Indiana University.

Introduction

The availability of national data sets has not often been reported in literature. The use of these data sets can
provide researchers and resource managers with valuable information. An advantage of the data sets is the
relative ease of their full or partial retrieval from the World Wide Web.

Impact of this Research

Resource managers frequently have insufficient research available to them. Likewise, researchers may focus
on narrow topics, oftentimes driven by the availability of funding. Linking to larger national data sets allows
resource managers and researchers to better understand the data they have. These "snapshots" of the tourism
industry provide insight into trends and issues that resource managers may need to address and upon which
researchers may expand.

How to Use this Research

* The presence of multiple resource data sets regarding tourism -- especially natural, resource-based tourism
-- expands the researcher and resource manager's understanding

* Resource managers, trip planners, and adventure programmers can use this data to assess trends in use and
participation

* Understanding why people travel, who travels, and why they may engage in adventure recreation activities
improves the ability to offer such programs

* The resource manager can develop an impressive environmental scanning process and enhance awareness
of the industry.

For More Information

Recreation Roundtable. June 1998. Outdoor Recreation in America 1998[C] - Roper Starch Worldwide
[www.funout doors.com]

Minic, D. (IU Executive Development Program.) 1998. Tourism Works for America 1998. Travel Industry
Association of America. Washington, D.C. [www.tia.org]

Emilyn Sheffield is a professor of recreation and parks management at California State University at Chico.
Michelle Dawson is the partnership and marketing coordinator for the National Recreation Group, Bureau of
Land Management.
Research Update is edited by Dr. Irma O'Dell of Southern Illinois University at Carbondale and Kim L.
Siegenthaler of Appalachian State University.

COPYRIGHT 1999 National Recreation and Park Association

COPYRIGHT 2004 Gale Group

Abstract: Adventure Tourism