Kerala is expected to be a big player in world adventure tourism in a few years. Events like the Volvo race coming to Kochi and the Offshore Sailing Championship, which was flagged off here on Saturday, will put Kerala firmly on the world adventure tourism map, said Minister for Tourism Kodiyeri Balakrishnan here.

The Minister was speaking after he flagged-off the ‘Ocean Blue’ Offshore Sailing Championship before a colourful sail parade, a sailing tradition in which sailboats unfurled their sails as they passed the cheering crowd on the lawns of Hotel Taj Malabar, this afternoon.

Twelve enterprise boats, seven J-24 boats, six laser boats and one sea bird boat swamped the waterfront, sailing past the spectators with the crew displaying their skills.

The Minister said that events like the offshore sailing competition combined with sports and tourism added prestige to Kochi. These events would help the city gain further prominence among tourist destinations. He also said that the State government was making all efforts to promote adventure tourism in a big way as he congratulated the organisers of the sailing championship.