MAPUTO, July 27 (Xinhua) -- The first marine conservation area in Mozambique, Bazaruto Archipelago National Park (BANP), has been registering major financial losses due to the COVID-19 pandemic, said the local authorities on Monday.

The administrator of the touristic spot, Armando Ngoenha, told Radio Mozambique that in the first half year of 2020, the park collected only 110,000 U.S. dollars, way below the expectation of about 400,000 U.S. dollars.

The administrator said that the COVID-19 pandemic has led to the closure of many touristic resorts and the cancellation of some 10,000 hotel reservations in the region.

A change in the activity plan is said to be under consideration to reverse the scenario.

"These new strategies would make the park more attractive to visitors and guarantee that as soon as the conditions are created, the park will receive a larger number of visitors, most of which will be here to relieve the stress of months of COVID-19 related confinement," said Ngoenha.

BANP is off the coast of the Vilanculos and Inhassoro districts in the southern province of Inhambane.

The park was established in 1971 to protect marine wildlife species such as dugong, marine turtles and dolphins. Enditem

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