Author(s): Sourav Mangoch and Deepak Jain
It is commonly believed that increasing the proportion of the service sector to the total GDP is a positive economic signal in the direction of growth. The service sector is expanding in the Indian economy and has an increasing share of the GDP. The growth of the service industry is determined by the numerous sub-sectors. In the present context, the tourism industry is seen as having a strong potential for expansion. This sector's development and expansion will be big in terms of its impact on India's GDP. Purpose - For the reason of a good effort launched by the government, most tourist attractions are operating well. Though the Indian Himalayan Range has significant development potential, it is not among India's top-performing tourist destinations. So, in order to determine the potential for expansion in tourism in the Indian Himalayan Range, this research will be a beneficial undertaking and will give useful information to decision-makers. Design / Methodology / Approach: The study is based on a survey in various tourist areas of J&K India where primary data was collected in three categories: tourists visiting J&K, adventure tour operators in J&K, and future prospects. The data were collected during different tourist seasons in remote as well as major areas and tourist spots, and 350 tourists were chosen at random to collect the primary data. Similarly, 40 Adventure Tour operators were chosen at random in the same areas to learn about the perspectives of Tour operators who serve the tourism industry in direct or indirect form and conduct various adventure camps and adventure activities to provide the true essence of adventure sports. Similarly, 50 local individuals were chosen at random to gather primary data for the third category. These people live in various places where adventure tourism takes place in various forms and helps the local people with their day-to-day satisfaction. Findings: According to the data interpreted, it reflects the experiences and expectations of the tourists, that the majority of the tourists choose adventure activities for enjoyment rather than novelty, that nowadays most of the youth have their bucket list to do thrill before dying then they target as an enjoyment factor and majority of the students take it as an option and they are shifting their tourism to specifically adventure tourism from other types of tourism Even if individuals are on any other sort of leisure or cultural tourism, they strive to approach at least one adventurous activity as a source of pleasure. According to the research and data analysis, we also discovered that adventure tourism provides employment to local people living in various tourist locations, thus accomplishing our purpose of generating employment via adventure tourism at adventure tourist places. The majority of tourists, adventure tour operators, and local people themselves agreed that adventure tourism provides employment to the local people living in those areas. The study also shows that the local people have been working in the tourism sector for many generations and are still working in this sector, claiming that future generations will be taking care of adventure tourism in the Himalayas, demonstrating their level of satisfaction in terms of employment. Research Limitations / Implications: This study is based on multi-level findings and covers various aspects such as representing the current status of adventure tourists, adventure tour operators, and local people living in the vicinity of Adventure Tourism destinations in J&K, showcasing the trends of Adventure Tourism in the Indian Himalayan Range by understanding the expectations and experiences of adventure tourists and types of tourists visiting in different areas of J&K. This research also reflects the expansion of tourism in India over the previous ten years, as well as the importance of adventure tourism in increasing work prospects for local people in tourist destinations. The results will also be useful to the general public since they have illuminated the scope of Adventure Tourism in India and are attempting to recommend solutions for the expansion of Adventure Tourism in the Indian Himalayan Range. This research will attempt to concentrate on measures that might be beneficial to relevant authorities and government agencies for future advancement in adventure tourism or other tourism-related elements. Originality / Value: The current research is comprised of various aspects based on the objectives, interpretation, findings, and results, such as representing the current status of adventure tourists, adventure tour operators, and local people staying in the surroundings of Adventure Tourism destinations in J&K, showcasing the trends of Adventure Tourism in Indian Himalayan Range by learning the expectations and experiences of adventure tourists, and types of tourists visiting This research also reflects the expansion of tourism in India over the previous ten years, as well as the importance of adventure tourism in increasing work prospects for local people in tourist destinations. This study will also be beneficial to the general public because it has enlightened the scope of Adventure Tourism in India and is attempting to suggest strategies for the growth of Adventure Tourism in the Indian Himalayan Range because it is being conducted in the state of J&K among all three major pillars of the Adventure tourism industry, which are tourists, adventure tour operators, and local people living in various adventure tourism destinations. The research aims to concentrate on strategies that might assist the different authorities and government agencies improve adventure tourism and other tourism-related elements. Furthermore, this research might assist the government takes steps to educate visitors about the possible avenues of adventure tourism in J&K. There is a need to investigate new places and tourist sites to grow and attract more tourists. There is a need for road infrastructure improvement and accessibility to diverse adventure tourism locations in the state of J&K. There is a need to establish an organized setup of Adventure Tourism in J&K since it will assist to grow this sector and will attempt to reduce the issues encountered by visitors, adventure tour operators, and local people during the operations of Adventure activities.