Chief Minister Omar Abdullah today addressed the 17th Annual Convention of the Adventure Tour Operators Association of India (ATOAI) at the Sher-i- Kashmir International Convention Centre (SKICC), emphasising that Jammu and Kashmir is ideally placed as a destination for adventure tourism activities.
The 4-day national event being held in Srinagar from December 17 to 20, 2025, is aimed at positioning Jammu & Kashmir as a leading global destination for adventure tourism.
The event was attended by Advisor to the Chief Minister Nasir Aslam Wani, MLA Gulmarg Farooq Ahmad Shah, Additional Secretary & DG Tourism Government of India Suman Billa, GoC 31 Sub Area, Major General Abhijit Mitra, President ATOAI, Ajeet Bajaj, Head J&K Chapter ATOAI Rauf Tramboo, Director Tourism Kashmir Qamar Sajad, Director SKICC Haris Ahmad Handoo, Director Tourism Jammu, Dr. Vikas Gupta, former Directors of Tourism Mehmood Ahmad Shah and G N Itoo and other senior officers of Police and Civil Administration, Tourism Department, besides ATOAI delegates and large number of adventure tourism lovers, ATOAI officials and other stakeholders.
Addressing the inaugural session of the ATOAI convention, the Chief Minister lauded the efforts of ATOAI for organizing its 17th Annual Convention at Srinagar, aimed at promoting responsible, safe, sustainable & resilient adventure tourism in Jammu and Kashmir.
The Chief Minister highlighted that Jammu and Kashmir has remained pioneer in adventure tourism notably, in skiing mountaineering, trekking etc all across the globe.
Chief Minister emphasised that technology integration is essential to promote and realise advanced adventure tourism potential in Jammu and Kashmir. He laid stress on introducing artificial snow so as to start skiing early and to prolong duration of skiing calender in Gulmarg which would also help in mitigating the effects of climate change resulting in lesser and delayed snowfalls.
The Chief Minister underlined that the Jammu and Kashmir Government is taking all necessary measures to ensure the continued growth of the tourism sector despite challenges faced during the current season. He also appreciated the leadership of ATOAI for providing Jammu and Kashmir an opportunity to host the prestigious national convention.
The Chief Minister expressed gratitude to the Union Tourism Minister for extending unwavering support to the tourism sector of Jammu and Kashmir.
CM said that climate change and global warming were real issues which need to be talked about and we need to take steps to conserve our environment for posterity. He said that we won't be able to showcase Gulmarg without snow and our glaciers have also started receding at an alarming rate.
CM said that white water rafting, mountaineering, trekking, paragliding, rock climbing are key adventure tourism activities which can be promoted but cautioned operators to ensure high standards of safety and quality equipment to make adventure tourism safe and comfortable. He said that adventure tourism opens up new avenues of tourism in J&K and expressed hope that partnering with ATOAI will help to develop this sector in Jammu and Kashmir.
During the inaugural ceremony, the Chief Minister launched the Adventure Tourism Roadmap and Toolkit for Jammu and Kashmir and presented ATOAI Awards to achievers in the field of adventure tourism.
Earlier, the Chief Minister inaugurated the Adventure Tourism Exhibition at SKICC and inspected various stalls set up by different states across the country. He also participated in a hot air balloon ride, marking a symbolic push towards promoting diverse adventure tourism activities in Jammu and Kashmir.
On the occasion, ATOAI President Ajeet Bajaj presented a piece of stone, collected from the summit of Mount Everest as a special souvenir to CM Omar Abdullah
Towards the end of the inaugural function, the Chief Minister presented and felicitated the awardees, including recipients of the ATOAI Awards, the Adventure Tourism Leadership Award, and Special Recognition by the Chief Guest. On the occasion, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah also launched the J&K Adventure Tourism Roadmap.