After five years of declining passenger numbers, a group of Maine rafting companies today reported an increased number of people choosing to brave Maine’s whitewater.
Raft Maine, an association that represents commercial whitewater rafting companies that carry roughly 63% of the commercial rafting passengers in the state, reported a four-percent increase in passengers on the Kennebec River, 10% on the Penobscot and 16% on trips on the Dead River, according to a press release. Maine’s whitewater rafting season officially drew to a close Oct. 13, after a 176-day season that began in late April.
Jim Murton, president of Raft Maine, said this season’s increased passenger numbers are due to a renewed commitment by Raft Maine members to cooperate on marketing efforts with tourism groups like the Maine Office of Tourism and the Kennebec Valley Tourism Council.