Þingvellir National Park has been having money troubles. Very few guests have visited the park recently, due to the situation with the novel coronavirus. Although none of the workers have caught the disease, the pandemic still has had a major impact on day to day life at the park.
One Icelander has been caught trying to take coins from the Peningagjá ravine, where people have thrown coins for the last hundred years. He was spotted by a park ranger, and given a stern talking to.
This goofy coin thief is the least of the park’s financial worries, though. The pandemic has cost the park a tidy sum.
“This situation has had a major impact on the national park’s revenue base,” ranger Einar Á.E. Sæmundsen toldFréttablaðið. “We’re looking at a potential revenue drop of over 300 million króna.” Funding has been provided by the Ministry of Environment to help with hiring in the summer months, but the park is still feeling the impact.
As ever, those looking for more information or advice should go to the Icelandic Government’s excellent COVID-19 help page.
Tune into our daily COVID-Cast for a deeper dive into the day’s developments.
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