A decade since adventure tourism (AT) activities gained popularity in Kerala, its has taken subtler forms in the State, where demand is more for cycling, camping, trekking, kayaking, and a slew of other day-time activities than for those which need higher endurance levels and training.
Even as caravan tourism is the latest product, a premium one at that, from the State, Kerala Tourism has given renewed emphasis to promoting AT, considering the post-pandemic demand for experiential tourism the world over. Nowhere is it more evident than at the 11 th edition of the ongoing Kerala Travel Mart (KTM) that will conclude on Sunday at Samudrika Convention Centre in Willingdon Island, where a whole lot of AT promoters are wooing international and national ‘buyers’ with alluring packages.
Among the forerunners in the field is Kalypso Adventures, which set foot in the State 22 years ago and went on to win the national AT award in 2017-18. It has been hosting short-duration AT activities pan-India, including cycling tours through the high ranges in Kerala, kayaking through the mangrove forests at Kadamakudy and bird watching. The firm’s managing director Cdr. (retd) Sam T. Samuel said there were innumerable companies that were into promoting day-time adventure activities, mostly confined to parks, which are not really AT activities like embarking on cycling tours for days together, kayaking and parasailing, which have a much wider scope.
