THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The state’s first adventure tourism academy and park is set to launch at Sasthampara, an emerging destination located just 14 kilometres from Thiruvananthapuram. This less-explored area offers panoramic views of the city and is quickly becoming a popular spot for tourists.
After six years of delays, the Kerala Adventure Tourism Promotion Society (KATPS) has issued an Expression of Interest (EoI) to establish, operate, and maintain an adventure park and training centre on 4.85 hectares of revenue land at Sasthampara, with an expected investment of at least `10 crore for a period of 20 years.
An official from the tourism department said that the adventure park and training centre will begin partial operations this year. “We are receiving a positive response from both local and out-of-state parties. A pre-bid meeting is scheduled for this coming Monday, with the financial bids to be opened on April 30,” the official said.
In addition to training, the adventure park will offer a wide range of activities, including bungee jumping, camping (with options for glamping and dome tents), ziplining, zip cycling, trampoline, bouldering rock climbing, traverse walls, a mountain terrain bike challenge track, obstacle courses, slacklining, and various soft adventure experiences.
Currently, there are around 100 adventure parks in the state, primarily staffed by workers from other regions. The tourism department aims to remedy this by establishing a training centre that will provide professional training for local youth, allowing more residents to enter the adventure tourism industry.
“There are numerous opportunities emerging in adventure tourism, and many young people are interested in this field. However, professional training or courses are lacking in the state. While there are a few institutes in the country offering short-term courses, they are insufficient. Our previous short-term courses, conducted in collaboration with the Kerala Institute of Tourism and Travel Studies (KITTS), received an overwhelming response,” the official pointed out.
Delays in the project were primarily attributed to the initial plan of funding through government resources. “The finance department did not approve the original funding approach since a one-time investment would not sustain the park. As a result, we revised our financial model and opted for a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) approach,” the official added.