For the readers on the go:
Thailand’s environment minister has announced that the country would shut down its national parks for several months each year to improve their conservation ability. The announcement comes as the pandemic-related closures helped the natural habitat recover from the hordes of tourist crowds and brought a return of wildlife, like whales and turtles.
Authorities reportedly intend to close the parks annually for two to four months at a time, from 2021.
Dive deep:
Tourism is a key part of Thailand’s economy and contributes one-fifth of its GDP. It has more than 100 national parks with over 20 million visitors in 2019. This contributed to 2.2 billion baht ($70 million) in park fees.
Thailand’s economy was drastically affected as tourism came to a standstill due to COVID-19. However, it now plans to open its borders for some tourists steadily to revive its economy. In 2019, the number of tourists that visited Thailand was over 40 million.
