Arunachal Pradesh boosts its adventure tourism appeal
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Hosts Adventure Racing Championship witnessing participation from 12 states of India and 3 countries representing Malaysia, Nepal and South Africa.
Arunachal Pradesh hosted Adventure @ Mechukha - the 3rd National Adventure Racing Championship 2025 between April 17-20, 2025, in the valley of Mechukha. The event was organised by NthAdventure along with Arunachal Pradesh Tourism.
Positioned as ‘India’s First Border Adventure Race’ – the sporting event is a part of the Adventure Racing World Series (ARWS) – Asia Series. Held annually, the National Adventure Racing Championship is also a qualifier for ARWS Asia Championship. This year's Asia Championship is scheduled to take place in Malaysia in October 2025.
The 3rd National Adventure Racing Championship 2025 witnessed participation from 12 states of India and 3 countries representing Malaysia, Nepal and South Africa.
Arunachal Pradesh has witnessed substantial growth in its tourism sector. In 2023, foreign tourist arrivals surged by 300% to 4,496 visitors, while domestic tourist footfalls saw a 368.91% increase, reaching 1.04 million compared to the previous year.
“Arunachal Pradesh is well positioned to emerge as a leading adventure tourism destination in the world. We want to showcase the potential in adventure tourism vested in our state through events like National Adventure Racing Championship. We plan to organise this event in a much bigger way next year,” said Pasang Dorjee Sona, Minister for Tourism, Government of Arunachal Pradesh.
The journey for all the National and International teams started from their arrival at the Dibrugarh Airport where they were welcomed by the Tourism Department and Team NthAdventure. During the course of their journey, the participants and the visiting delegates experienced the local homestays in Aalo and Basar.
The race took teams through 150 km of wilderness of Mechukha. The Line of Actual Control (McMahon Line) forms the India-Tibet border approximately 29 kilometers north of Menchuka, marking the boundary between Indian and Chinese territories. The track of the competition witnessed teams traversing through villages, rivers, mountains and valleys. While the full-course team fought for the ticket to Asian Championship, short course competitors experienced the thrill of this sport that took teams through grasslands, mountains. Disciplines included Trail Running, Hiking, Kayaking, River Crossing, MTB, Rope Works, Navigation and more.