"Sports Tourism"

“The spirit of adventure, the challenge of elements and the thrill in conquering.”

This is what fires the young blood into adventure sports. The new corporate culture expects you to have the spirit of adventure, the love of a challenge and wind in your skills.

The new breed of young professionals, especially with the I.T. industry and BPO’s ensuring the young generation have lots of money to spend, have brought new hope to sports tourism. Many call centers are using adventure sports as team – building exercise.

Adventure is there in air, water, snow and land. One can select the ideal one: less dangerous means less adventuring, but one can start with. Sports tourism is fast catching on in India as it is somehow attached with adventure sports.

The directorate of mountaineering and allied sports, Manali, has been imparting training in various disciplines of adventure sports since 1961. Every year the institute trains over 500 persons in Mountaineering, skiing and water sports.

Mussoorie, Nainital, Haridwar, Rishikesh, Almora, Ranikhet etc are famous for adventure or sports tourism.

A less expensive but slightly more painful way of getting your nerves in action is rock climbing. Sport climbing is less dangerous. Trekking and even camping form part of sports tourism.

Delhi has some of the most developed rock climbing areas. The road from Delhi to Chandigarh is adjoined by places suitable for mountaineering. In Ladu Sarai, Wellington Crescent, Qutub etc, we can find rock climbing facilities.

With so many hills and mountains, India can go high as far as mountain biking is concerned. Flying is an addiction. Once tried, it never leaves the blood stream. Flying boosts confidence and relieves stress as well. Many corporates are approaching flying clubs as it is an excellent distress.

Paragliding is the aero sport freak’s dream come true. Security clearance for air space is the only problem. One needs to be at least 50 – 100 km away from major cities with airports. Para- gliding is a mix of parachuting and hang gliding and is considered to be one of the easier aero sports to learn.

Skiing started as a sport in India as early as in 1927. Holidaying in zero temperature itself is a thrill. Skiing adds adventure to the holiday. The winter delights of the icy surfaces are little exploited.


Over 6000 tourists, rather adventure sports lovers, come to Rishikesh every year. Rafting season starts in the second week of September. The white water Challenge in Rishikesh is popular in and outside India. Canoeing and Kayaking are also introduced in white water.

There is a lot more scope for sports tourism. Different states and even local bodies can come out with plans as per the facilities available in their villages. The hilly areas, the forest areas, the streams, the rocks, and canals and plateaus can be used to its advantage.