Sports Tourism in India

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Destinations in India offering Sports Tourism

Sports tourism in India is carving a niche for itself in Indian tourism industry. Sports tourism is broadly defined by the adventure sports and games in India. There are indeed several destinations in India offering sports tourism. There are varied sports activities that you can indulge during your leisure vacation to India. Mountaineering, rock climbing, scuba diving, white water rafting, kayaking, canoeing, sailing, surfing, water scooting, snorkeling and aero sports activities like ballooning, paragliding and hand gliding offer attractive scope for sports lovers and enthusiasts from all parts of the world. Among the innumerable destinations in India offering sports tourism Himachal Pradesh, Uttaranchal, Goa and Andaman & Nicobar Islands are extremely popular and loved by tourists.

The Himalayan state of Himachal Pradesh has become a prime center of adventure sport activities. Sports tourism in Himachal Pradesh comprises of adventure sports like trekking, skiing, golfing, river rafting, para gliding and mountain cycling. The favorite places to ski are Manali, Shimla and Kufri. The snow covered golf course at Naldehra provides amazing golfing experience. Enjoy rafting in the mountain rapids and rivers of the state; Chandrabhaga, Ravi and Beas are the rivers where you can raft and kayak. In the Solang valley, lying close to Manali, you can enjoy aero sports like paragliding; Kullu and Kangra are good places to enjoy these sorts of aero sport activities. Mountain biking areas in Himachal Pradesh are Una, Kangra, Bilaspur and Hamirpur; you can enjoy mountain biking at Lahaul-Spiti and Kinnaur.

Sports tourism in Goa is marked by the numerous options of water sports; windsurfing, water-skiing, parasailing and dinghy sailing are popular water sports of Goa. The coastal stretches of Goa make this state in the western part of India simply a paradise for the aquatic sports lovers. Sports tourism in Andaman & Nicobar Islands, just like Goa, offers enjoyable and thrilling water games and activities to both national and international sports enthusiasts.

Jammu and Kashmir, Sikkim and Darjeeling in West Bengal also feature as destinations in India offering sports tourism. Skiing in Gulmarg is a thrilling and breath-taking experience. In the beautiful state situated in the foothills of Mount Kanchenjunga, Sikkim you can take great pleasure in adventure sports. You can trek to Bakhim and to Yuksam and Dzongri. Mountain biking can be done in North and West Sikkim. Tista and Rangit are two mountain rivers of Sikkim; you can look for a thrilling rafting and kayaking experience in these rivers. Jorethang in West Sikkim is a glider’s favorite. Darjeeling blessed with panoramic views of Everest and Kanchenjunga has attracted thousands of trekkers.

One common point to be noted among the hilly states and regions of India is that the respective state governments are taking optimum measures to capitalize on the natural setting in order to promote sports tourism in India. States marked by presence of seas, oceans and water bodies are encouraging sports tourism through varied water sports. Goa, Kerala and Andaman & Nicobar Islands deserve mention in this regard. Hence destinations in India offering sports tourism promote and popularize adventurous sports activities in accordance to their geographical uniqueness.