Five years ago, the "Day of the River" was added to the Calendario Turístico Nacional thanks to the initiative of two committed rafting tour operators, Duilio Vellutino and Juan Jose (Pepe) Lopez, both of them members of the Asociación Peruana de Operadores de Turismo de Aventura y Ecoturismo - APTAE.

This annual celebration is a tribute to the fresh water ecosystems of the plane and is oriented to protect the hydrographic basins, in an effort to prevent the widespread pollution of Peruvian rivers.

The main objective of this annual event (every September 16) is to encourage environmental awareness among the local communities along the Sacred Valley of the Incas as well as generate an effective and positive reaction on private enterprise, NGOs, Municipalities, and, specially, the younger generations of students.

Although so far these activites and campaigns have only focused on the Vilcanota - Urubamba (the Sacred River of the Incas) and its tributary, the Huatanay, we hope that soon similar initiatives be imitated along other rivers in Peru.

The Willkamayu is a highly significant river worldwide, not only because of its strategic location in the Sacred Valley of the Incas in Cusco but also because of its historical-cultural background and its great relevance as a tourist attraction.

The critical situation of the Sacred River of the Incas has become known only a few years back. Its distressing level of pollution is the result of the great volume of solid waste (most of it plastic bags and bottles) accumulated on its shores as well as the used waters discharged along its course.