The closure of Los Nevados National Park in central Colombia will hurt tourism in the area as the Easter holiday quickly approaches, according to organizers.
Meteorological authorities raised the alert level to orange Sunday, after increased seismic activity was observed from the Nevado del Ruis volcano, and the park was closed to visitors. An orange alert does not mean an erution is imminent.
Director of the Family Compensation Fund Juan Eduardo Zuluaga Perna, whose organization coordinates tourism in the park, said there will be an undeniable economic impact to the popular tourist destination.
Perna outlined the importance of the evacuation, “to safeguard the lives of not only visitors but also of workers in the park. According to estimates, we are expecting more than five thousand visitors during Holy Week, which represents revenue of $130,000, but we are sure that visitors and tourists understand the situation.”
Mayor of Manizales Jorge Eduardo Rojas encouraged tourists to visit the city located near the park over Holy Week.
Rojas said, “The city has other attractions with different important destinations.”
