4 Tourism Hotspots in Kerala to Host Adventure Sports Competitions in 2024

To draw tourists from around the world, four popular tourist destinations in Kerala—surfing, mountain biking, paragliding, and whitewater kayaking—will hold adventure sporting competitions in 2024.

State Tourism Minister P A Mohamed Riyas announced in Thiruvananthapuram on Wednesday that the government has chosen to organize four international adventure sporting events this year in an effort to establish Kerala as a major player in the global adventure tourism scene.

At a news conference held here, the minister said that paragliding, surfing, mountain biking, and whitewater kayaking events would be staged at popular tourist destinations Vagamon, Varkala, Mananthavady, and Kozhikode.

According to him, the first of this year's adventure sporting events, the "International Paragliding Competition 2024," will take place in Vagamon, Idukki, from March 14 to 17.

"This is India's largest aero sports adventure festival where more than 100 nationally and internationally renowned gliders will participate," Riyas stated.

The minister added that international champions in paragliding and well-known riders from around the world would be taking part in the festival, which has garnered attention from more than 15 countries.

According to him, participants in the four-day event will come from the Indian states of Delhi, Himachal Pradesh, Maharashtra, Sikkim, Goa, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Uttarakhand, and Arunachal Pradesh, as well as France, Germany, Italy, New Zealand, Australia, the US, and the UK.

According to the minister, this year's inaugural national surfing championship will take place at Varkala in the Thiruvananthapuram area from March 29 to March 31.

According to him, surfers from coastal cities in east and west India would participate in a variety of categories.

"The festival aims to make Varkala, Kerala's premier surfing destination, an internationally recognised surfing hotspot," Riyas stated.

The state has already gained international recognition for its competitive mountain biking, and this year's 7th edition of the International Mountain Cycling Championship (MTB Kerala-2024) will take place from April 26 to 28 at Priyadarshini Tea Plantation, Mananthavady in the Wayanad district, he said.

According to him, the competition is held over a five-kilometer course that is located at an elevation of 3,000 feet.

The cross-country sport, which includes terrain like dirt, rock, and water, is the championship's main draw, and riders from 25 countries are anticipated to compete, according to the ministry.

There will be amateur cycling competitions in India as well, and the champions of this event will have the chance to compete against professional riders from abroad at the MTB Kerala International Competition, he continued.

He added that the MTB Kerala has been added to the Union Cycliste International (UCI) MTB Championship schedule. UCI is a Swiss organization that oversees the cycling industry.

He noted that July 25–28 would mark the 10th edition of the Malabar River Festival, which is renowned for its superb organisation and high levels of audience engagement.