Adventure Tourism Should Never Compromise on Safety: CM Omar

Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Wednesday asserted that while adventure tourism thrives on adrenaline, it must never compromise on safety or sustainability. Highlighting the delicate balance between thrill and responsibility, Abdullah stressed that Jammu and Kashmir's potential as a global adventure hub is being challenged by the twin threats of climate change and safety perceptions.

He was addressing the 17th Annual Adventure Tour Operators Association of India (ATOAI) Convention.

In an assessment of the environmental challenges facing the region, Abdullah warned that the reality of climate change can no longer be "wished away".

"I can't sell Gulmarg as a skiing destination if I don't have snow. I can't sell glaciers for ice climbing if those glaciers are receding before our eyes," he said.

Recalling his school days when glaciers were easily accessible from Sonamarg, the chief minister noted that they have now receded significantly. He said the government is exploring artificial snow technology, a staple in Western resorts, to combat the lack of precipitation in Gulmarg, where the skiing season has shrunk to just a few weeks.

Addressing the inherent risks of adventure sports, Abdullah drew a sharp line between thrill seeking and negligence and stressed that adventure tourism should be safe, sustainable, and repeatable.

"Yes, there is an element of danger in adventure tourism. There has to be. Otherwise, the adrenaline doesn't flow. But there is a difference between it being dangerous and it being suicidal," he said.

The chief minister clarified that adventure tourism is not another word for organised suicide. "It's for doing something exciting, but doing it in a manner that is safe, doing it in a manner that is sustainable and doing it in a manner that is repeatable."

He reiterated that adventure tourism is vital because it opens up remote areas of the state that leisure or business tourism cannot reach.

"There is a huge responsibility on our shoulders to ensure that people who entrust their lives to us are handed back to their families in the same condition we got them, perhaps with slightly higher blood pressure, but nothing more damaging than that," he quipped.

While acknowledging that 2025 has been a difficult year for tourism due to Baisaran terror incident, followed by unseasonal rains and the latest being the terror attack in Delhi affecting perception, the chief minister praised the tenacity of Jammu and Kashmir tourism industry.

"I think all credit goes to my friends and colleagues who are part of the Jammu and Kashmir tourism industry, because only they know how they survive in uncertain times.

"It is really a testament to their tenacity, their strength, and their commitment...we are still plugging away, doing our best to ensure that tourism continues to flourish," he said.

Abdullah lauded the ATOAI for establishing safety guidelines, pledging the government's full cooperation to ensure Jammu and Kashmir becomes a gold standard for safe adventure.

The event began with the chief minister experiencing two "firsts": a tethered hot air balloon ride and "touching" the summit of Mount Everest, via a small rock fragment brought back by Padma Shri recipient Ajit Bajaj.

"Touching the summit of Everest while sitting in a comfortable chair in a warm hall. But be that as it may, it was still a first for me," Abdullah said.

He closed his speech with a humorous family anecdote regarding his father, Farooq Abdullah's, infamous hot air balloon mishap in Jammu.

"The border is not very far from Jammu town. So it's quite possible that my father and his balloon would have crossed over and may not have been returned to us for quite some time," he said.

Abdullah said that, unlike his father, he managed to land safely.

"The fact that I came down without getting stuck in a tree is a unique achievement for my family," he joked.