Uttarakhand in North India has been in the news due to the many travel-related projects that have been introduced over the past few years. For instance, in 2021, the state tourism department announced the Trekking Traction Center Homestay Scheme in order to nurture nature trails, treks, and the local economy. In April 2023, the Uttarakhand Tourism Development Board (UTDB) designated Jadung, an ancient border village situated close to the Tibet border as the state's newest tourist destination. Jadung is being developed into a sustainable tourism hub offering activities such as astro-tourism, trekking, hiking, and nature camps. In November this year, the state will host the Tehri Acro Festival 2023, India’s first international aerial acrobatic show.
The Tehri Acro Festival 2023 will take place from November 24 to 28, 2023. More than 35 renowned international pilots and 150 Indian pilots will compete and perform during the event.
The Uttarakhand Tourism Development Board (UTDB) has worked out a plan to make Tehri the world's paragliding capital. The events lined up at the festival include Acro Flying, Syncro Flying, Wing Suit Flying, D-Bagging, and more.
This event will celebrate the start of paragliding operations at Tehri, including both leisure and training. Paragliding, in India, was first introduced in the 1990s but has only recently seen an increase in popularity, and there are several good paragliding destinations in the country. The events at the festival are related to the sport of paragliding and involve extreme moves such as paragliding upside down, or D-bagging from a helicopter, hot air balloon, or ultralight. Read more about it here.
The event also aims to launch paragliding training programmes, particularly for locals, in order to expand career options. In Tehri, the Uttarakhand Tourism Development Board has made some progress towards sustainable tourism. The main objective is to have at least 100 paragliding pilots in Uttarakhand by the end of this year. Uttarakhand is one of the most popular destinations in India, with trekking and hiking trails, adventure sports, lake festivals, yoga festivals, and more.
What: Tehri Acro Festival
When: November 24 to 28, 2023
Where: Take-off at Prathap Nagar, Tehri, and landing zone at Koti Colony, Tehri, Uttarakhand.
Getting there: The nearest airport to New Tehri is Jolly Grant airport, located 86 kilometres away, with regular flights from Delhi, while the nearest railway station is in Rishikesh, 72 kilometres from New Tehri. The town is well-connected by road to major cities like Haridwar, Rishikesh, and Dehradun, with readily available buses and cabs.
Check out the festival calendar here.