Kerala set to host International Paragliding Festival to boost tourism

It is one of the four international championships that the Kerala Tourism Department is organizing this year, with the first being the Paragliding Festival.

The International Paragliding Festival Kerala is to be held in Vagamon, Kerala from March 13 to 17. The event is being organized by the Kerala Tourism Department to promote the state as an ideal destination for adventure tourism.The festival will showcase Kerala’s adventure tourism potential to the world. It is one of the four international championships that the Kerala Tourism Department is organizing this year, with the first being the Paragliding Festival.

The Minister of Tourism and Public Works, PA Mohamed Riyas, will inaugurate the event at Vagamon Adventure Park at 4 pm. It will be presided over by the State Water Resources Minister, Roshi Augustine. According to the Tourism Department, more than 100 nationally and internationally renowned gliders will participate in the country’s largest aero sports adventure festival.

The event will include international paragliding champions and world-renowned riders. The Army, Air Force, and Navy adventure units will also take part in the competition. The spot landing competition is one of the highlights of the event, which will test the skills and precision of the paragliders as they demonstrate their ability to land accurately on a designated spot.

The prize money for the event is Rs 3 lakh. The Kerala Adventure Tourism Promotion Society (KATPS), under the Department of Tourism, and the Idukki District Tourism Promotion Council are jointly organizing the event. The event will receive technical support from the Paragliding Association of India. The event is expected to attract 35,000 in-person spectators and 20 lakh viewers worldwide on digital platforms.

The Paragliding Association of India is the national governing body for paragliding, and it is committed to promoting the safe and sustainable growth of the sport at all levels. The International Paragliding Festival Kerala is one of the steps taken by the association to achieve its vision of making Kerala a hub for adventure tourism.

Originally Published at THEPRINT