Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala Vagamon in Idukki district emerged as the focal point of international adventure tourism with the successful hosting of the International Paragliding Festival from March 19 to 23, 2025.
Organized by Kerala Tourism and Kerala Adventure Tourism Promotion Society (KATPS), and supported by the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI) and the Aeroclub of India, the festival saw 49 participants from 11 countries, including 15 international players.
Nepal’s Aman Thapa clinched the top spot in the men’s category, while South Korea’s Yunyoung Cho led the women’s segment. In the team category, Team Younghwa, comprising members from India and South Korea, secured the first position. Fly Varkala and Orangelife Paragliding secured second and third positions respectively.
Competitions were held in six categories: Paragliding Accuracy (Overall), Paragliding Accuracy (Women), Paragliding Accuracy (Team), Paragliding Accuracy (Indian Overall), Paragliding Accuracy (Indian Women), and Paragliding Accuracy (Junior). Winners received cash prizes of Rs.1.5 lakh, Rs.1 lakh, and Rs.50,000 for first, second, and third places respectively.
P. A. Mohamed Riyas, Ministerof Tourism, who attended the closing ceremony and experienced paragliding himself at an altitude of 3,500 feet, reaffirmed the state’s commitment to positioning Kerala as a leading destination for adventure tourism. “It was an unforgettable experience. I’ll be back -- with my family,” he remarked after his flight.
The Minister also highlighted Kerala’s diverse adventure tourism offerings, including mountain cycling in Wayanad, surfing in Varkala, and Beypore, and trekking in the Western Ghats. He emphasized that Vagamon would be developed into the country’s premier paragliding destination.
Sikha Surendran, Director, Kerala Tourism, noted that the department has succeeded in introducing international-standard adventure activities within the state.
(Courtesy: Kerala Tourism)
