Rishikesh: The Uttarakhand Tourism Development Board on Tuesday inaugurated the river rafting season 2026-27 at a formal ceremony held in Shivpuri, Rishikesh, marking the beginning of what officials described as a renewed push to bring greater safety, discipline and professionalism to the state’s adventure tourism sector.
The event was presided over by Principal Secretary (Planning), Government of Uttarakhand, Meenakshi Sundaram, in the distinguished presence of Tourism Secretary Dheeraj Singh Garbyal. During the ceremony, rafting licences were formally distributed to all registered rafting firms operating across the state, a step officials said goes well beyond ceremonial significance and represents a concrete move to standardise and streamline the adventure tourism industry in Uttarakhand.
The licences issued at the event will govern rafting operations on the state’s major rivers, including the Ganga, Kali, Tons, Gori, Kosi, Alaknanda, Pindar, Saryu, Ramganga (both Eastern and Western), Bhagirathi and Dhauliganga. Officials said the move is aimed at ensuring safe and well-regulated rafting activity across these river stretches while also linking local youth in the state’s hill regions to adventure tourism as a means of entrepreneurship and employment generation.
Speaking on the occasion, Principal Secretary Meenakshi Sundaram said the launch of the rafting season represented an important effort to instil discipline and professionalism in the state’s adventure tourism sector. She noted that strengthening the licensing system would not only ensure the safety of tourists but would also create fresh employment opportunities at the local level.
Tourism Secretary Dheeraj Singh Garbyal, addressing the gathering, described the licences distributed on the occasion as a new beginning for the state’s rafting firms. He said the initiative would strengthen safety standards while providing sustainable livelihood opportunities for the youth of the state, and would help establish adventure tourism as a disciplined and trustworthy industry. Garbyal also referred to earlier efforts by the department to enhance the safety capabilities of rafting guides, including an international-standard Wilderness First Aid (WFA) and CPR training programme launched in collaboration with the Hanifl Centre and Aerie Backcountry Medicine (ABM), USA. Under this programme, a total of 700 guides are being trained in a phased manner. He described the current licence distribution drive as the next step in that continuing effort.
Officials emphasised that Tuesday’s ceremony was not an isolated or standalone measure but part of a series of steps being taken progressively by the department to make the adventure tourism sector safer, more structured and standardised. From linking rafting guides to internationally recognised emergency medical training to bringing the renewal of firm permits under a systematic process, the department said it continues to work towards establishing Uttarakhand as a model state for safety and professionalism in adventure tourism.
As part of the same effort, the Uttarakhand Tourism Development Board has also developed a Tourist Guide Portal, through which trained guides can obtain digital certification and digital identity cards, with details of their training and work maintained securely in one place. According to officials, more than 300 river rafting guides have already registered on the portal, with new guides joining on a daily basis. The portal is expected to soon offer tourists the facility to directly contact and book guides online.
The ceremony was attended by the District Magistrate of Tehri Garhwal, the Senior Superintendent of Police, the Divisional Forest Officer of Narendra Nagar, Tehri, along with representatives of the Ganga Nadi Rafting Management Committee (GNR) and officials from other concerned departments.
Officials also clarified the regulatory framework governing the licences. Under the provisions of the Uttarakhand River Rafting/Kayaking Rules, 2014 (as amended), all registered rafting firms have been granted a temporary permit valid for 45 days from September 23, 2026. Within this period, firms will be required to complete the prescribed procedure and deposit the requisite fees in order to obtain permanent permits.
The Tourism Development Board said the event reflects its commitment to realising the vision of a “Developed Uttarakhand” and to establishing the tourism sector as a powerful vehicle for employment and self-employment generation in the state.
With rafting long regarded as one of Rishikesh’s principal tourist draws, drawing visitors from across the country and abroad to its stretch of the Ganga, officials expressed hope that the tightened licensing regime and expanded guide-training programmes would help the state build a safer and more professionally managed adventure tourism ecosystem in the years ahead, even as the sector continues to grow as a significant source of livelihood for communities in Uttarakhand’s hill and river-valley regions.
