Ekta Nagar (Gujarat) [India], December 19 (ANI): As a precursor to the upcoming Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit, the association of adventure tour operators in India has held its 15th annual convention at the Statue of Unity in Kevadiya.
The three-day event of the Adventure Tour Operators Association of India convened on December 16-18 was supported by the Tourism Corporation of Gujarat. The convention has set the direction for India to be amongst the top 10 global destinations for Adventure Tourism.
The three-day convention brought together over 300 adventure tour operators, adventure enthusiasts, travellers and industry leaders from across India.
To keep the commitment to promote sustainable tourism and reduce carbon emissions, a charter was drawn to calculate the carbon emissions for the entire three-day event. To successfully offset the emission, various key sustainable initiatives were implemented.
More than 68 per cent reduction in energy usage was observed by hosting this conference in winter which reduced cooling load as well as diesel consumption. Additionally, the delegates were encouraged to minimize their carbon footprint wherever possible for their in-room consumption.
It was recognised that approximately 4,700 bottles of water per day would be utilized during the event, to eliminate the same a Zero Plastic Waste policy was implemented, which resulted in eliminating 15,000 plastic bottles.
The delegates were encouraged to drink from glass or reusable bottles. Water dispensers were installed at various locations during three days.
To avoid plastic on the badges and tags, about 400 seed papers for badges and luggage tags were provided as a sustainable alternative. Participants were also encouraged to plant their badges.
By going ‘Paperless’ in printing informational material and Itinerary, over 2,000 sheets of paper were estimated to have been saved.
The convention also emphasized reducing food wastage by displaying the amount of food wasted after each meal and encouraging participants to minimize food waste during meals, thus promoting conscious consumption. Further to promote sustainable dining practices during the convention plastic sachets for butter, jam, and sugar were eliminated.
Moreover, in addition to implementing sustainable practices, the tour operators and Gujarat Tourism also focused on knowledge sharing with convention attendees about the importance of sustainable event management. The convention served as a platform to exchange information on eco-friendly practices and their impact on the adventure tourism industry through multiple sessions led by practitioners.
Furthermore, to offset emissions, the adventure tour operators association with Gujarat Tourism and the Forest Department of Gujarat is planting 200 saplings near the event area which will be maintained by the forest department of the region for 15 years.
The tenth edition of the Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit is scheduled from January 10 to January 12, 2024. The Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit was conceptualised in 2003 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who was then the Chief Minister of Gujarat. (ANI)
