It is good that the J&K Government has lately started focusing on adventure tourism because there is a lot of scope in this sector which has never been explored in the region.
In this context, the Tourism Department has reportedly started a six-day training course for paragliding pilots at Aithem, Jammu. The training programme is being conducted under the supervision of two expert trainers from the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Institute of Mountaineering and Allied Sports (ABVIMAS), Manali. The initiative aims to enhance the technical and practical skills of local paragliding pilots as part of their preparatory exercise before proceeding for the P4 training programme scheduled to be held at Bir Billing from October 17, 2025.
It is necessary that those responsible for carrying out such activities falling under adventure tourism should be fully trained and have the knack to handle emergencies with extreme ease and adroitness. It is good that the government has taken this initiative to provide highly professional training to the local paragliding pilots to ensure safety of the tourists going for this sport. It is necessary that those who steer such sports are fully equipped with the operational skills, which is a prerequisite for safety.
Earlier, in the same context, river rafting was resumed in Reasi district as operators restarted rafting in the Chenab River after a long halt at Baradari. This place has a splendid beauty and is most viable for this adventure sport as Chenab flows amid majestic mountains and forested riverbanks, wooing hundreds of adventure seekers.
All said and done, adventure tourism has opened up its wings and is going full throttle now rekindling hope among the tourism stakeholders in J&K especially Jammu Division as for the first time such initiatives have been taken by the people running the affairs of tourism department.
No doubt, the tourism industry in the Union Territory had suffered following the Pahalgam terror attack in April, followed by Operation Sindoor and floods but it seems now that things will change for the better and along with Kashmir, the Jammu region will also see the increased tourist footfall on account of addition of adventure tourism chapter with rafting and paragliding taking the lead.
