UCCF directive regarding opening dates of Gangotri National Park upsets adventure tour operators

Adventure Tour Operators Association of India has managed to get special permission for adventure tour operators to take trekking groups in Gangotri National Park (GNP) this month. Several Adventure tour operators, especially those based in Uttarakhand and ones conducting trekking trips in Gangotri National Park (GNP) were upset with the Upper Chief Conservator of Forest (UCCF) for changing the dates for opening GNP to visitors and lack of proper communication regarding the same. UCCF changed the dates for the opening of the Park from April 1 to May 1 and sent a circular regarding the same late last month.

According to Tejbir Singh Anand, President, ATOAI said, “We met with Sujit Banerjee, Tourism Secretary yesterday and explained to him the situation of the adventure tour operators and their business being at stake due to the sudden notice sent by the UCCF about opening dates of GNP. He spoke to Indu Kumar Pandey, Principal Secretary of Uttarakand and under a special case, adventure tour operators will be allowed to take trekking groups from today by taking the permit in Dehradun.”