The State government is charting out a road map to make Kerala a hub of adventure tourism, Tourism Minister P.A. Mohamed Riyas has said.
Speaking after inaugurating a four-day International Surfing Festival at Edava beach in Varkala on Thursday, the Minister said, “Adventure sports, such as trekking, cycling and surfing are gaining popularity among people of all age-groups. The Tourism department has identified this trend and is strengthening its efforts with the help of KATPS (Kerala Adventure Tourism Promotion Society) to promote adventure tourism.”
The Tourism department is mapping places that are suitable for adventure activities such as hiking, cycling and surfing. Kerala is the only State to provide registration system and guidelines for people engaged in adventure sport activities, he added. The event is being organised by KATPS under the State Tourism department, in association with the Thiruvananthapuram District Tourism Promotion Council.
Adventure activities
Coastal Varkala, 40 km north of the State capital, is a major tourist destination for adventure activities such as jet skiing and paragliding, besides boating. The festival will feature competitions in categories such as SUP technical race, paddleboard technical race and SUP surfing. Around 60 surfers, local and international, are participating in the event that enjoys technical support from the Surfing Federation of India and International Surfing Association.
The competitions are under the following categories: national women’s open, national men’s open, national groms (16 and under – girls), national groms (16 and under – boys), international men’s open and international women’s open. The winners of the competitions under each category will be awarded a cash prize of ₹2 lakh. Besides the competitions, the festival also offers free surfing sessions worth ₹1 lakh for 50 lucky winners through a special contest.
Published - April 10, 2025 09:19 pm IST
