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Rituparna Chatterjee – Mumbai
Kerala Tourism is focusing on promoting soft adventure sports in three places – Vagamon, Muzhappilangad (Kannur district) and Kattil (Kollam district). For this purpose, the tourism board has setup a Kerala Adventure Tourism Promotion Society (KATPS).
Speaking exclusively to Express TravelWorld, S Harikishore, director, Kerala Tourism stated, “In Vagamon there will be infrastructural development plus operations, while the other two places will have only operations. In these places we have appointed consultants to suggest the best methodology for operations like parasailing, paragliding, hot air ballooning. Simultaneously, we have ordered for hot air balloons, parasails for incubation purposes. We will buy the equipments, form a group, train them and will give it to them for operations so that the group gets support and they can take it forward.”
The second edition of MTB Kerala – International Mountain Cycling Challenge was held in February this year at Wayanad. Asha Jose, CEO, KATPS, informed that thirteen countries participated in the event this year. The event was conducted with the technical support of Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) and Cycling Federation of India (CFI). The top bikers were rewarded a total prize money of Rs 10 lakh with Rs 2.5 lakh for the winner in International and Rs 1.5 lakh for the winner in National category. Kodiyeri Balakrishnan, former tourism minister of Kerala said that Kerala is gifted with geographical features that are most ideal for adventure tourism and the state must utilise this. Paragliding at Wagamon in Idukki and parasailing at Payyambalam beach in Kannur are two well-established adventure centres of international standard in Kerala. Apart from these, eco-tourism destinations in Kerala are where tourists can enjoy adventure sports like trekking, mountaineering and kite flying.
