With holiday season fast approaching, tourism officials have been hoping the spectacular “Los Nevados” nature park in central Colombia will be reopened.
The park, located in the central department of Caldas, typically attracts a flood of tourists towards the end of the year. “”From cities like Cali, Medellin and Bogota, [come] students, aged 13 to 16 years, to see the park,” said hotelier German Maldonado.
However, central Colombia authorities closed the park on April 1 after an increase in seismic activity of the Nevado del Ruiz volcano. At the time, the Manizales Seismological Observatory issued an orange alert.
“[Since then] the market fell one hundred percent. The effects of the closure have been very negative,” lamented Maldonado. He proposed that, “with all due care”, Los Nevados be re-opened temporarily.
There are also concerns that the closure could slash the number of visitors that arrive in the area every year for the “Feria de Manizales.” The festival will be held in the first week of January next year.