PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE/ Dehradun
The Bureau of Indian Standards, Dehradun, hosted a ‘Standards Discussion’ programme on Friday, focused on the topic of Adventure Tourism Safety Management System Requirements according to IS 21101:2014.
More than 100 people, including adventure tourism operators, certification bodies, testing and inspection agencies, regulatory bodies and consumer representatives, participated.
Addressing the programme, the additional secretary, Tourism Department, Uttarakhand, Abhishek Ruhela highlighted the immense potential for adventure sports in Uttarakhand, stressing that clear SOPs, risk management and strict adherence to safety standards are essential to establishing the state as a safe and responsible adventure destination. He called on all stakeholders to make a collective effort to develop adventure tourism to international standards.
The director and head, BIS Dehradun,
Saurabh Tiwari emphasised the need for effective implementation of IS 21101:2014 and stated that the standards developed by BIS provide the basis for establishing a robust and risk-based management system for adventure tourism activities. He further highlighted the necessity of a safety management system in a mountainous state like Uttarakhand and the need for coordinated efforts by industry, service providers, and regulatory bodies.
The president – IAU Pankaj Gupta and president – SMAU Harendra Garg were present as the special guests and shared their views on the need for compliance with safety standards from the industry perspective.
The programme’s detailed technical session was presented by Ravindra Dogra, National Institute of Water Sports (NIWS), Goa. In a comprehensive presentation, he explained various aspects of IS 21101:2014, including safety policy and leadership roles, delineation of organisational responsibilities, identification and assessment of activity-specific risks among others.
The deputy director, BIS, Darpan Chalia highlighted the need for standardisation in adventure sports and said that effective safety management system increases consumer confidence and provides long-term sustainability to the industry.
