GUWAHATI: Jeep Safari at Assam's iconic Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve will remain shut from May 19, 2025, until further notice. The closure, after continued bad weather and poor road conditions, was formally announced by the Divisional Forest Officer of the Eastern Assam Wildlife Division.
The notification emphasized that the decision was made in the best interest of public safety and for the welfare of all concerned.
Assam Chief Minister's Office also announced the news on its social media account on platform X, pointing out the serious safety concerns for tourists and staff in view of the current adverse weather conditions. The state's heavy rain has significantly damaged the park infrastructure, making it unsuitable for tourist activities, especially jeep safaris that stand high among visitors.
This is at a time when Kaziranga National Park has seen a record year for tourism. In the financial year 2024–25, the park saw 4,06,564 tourists, including 17,693 foreign tourists, generating a staggering revenue of Rs 10.90 crore. Field Director Sonali Ghosh stated that this was four times the number of tourists it had seen in the past decade, showing the park's increasing popularity on both national and international levels.
Overseas tourists now comprise 4.5 percent of visitors to the park, drawn by its unmatched biodiversity and the chance to spot the one-horned rhino in its natural habitat. Kaziranga has also been put on the international map by high-profile visits by dignitaries, including Bhutan King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi—the first Prime Minister to visit the park since its establishment as a national park in 1974.
Further raising its global stature, Kaziranga was recently featured in The New York Times as one of the best places to visit in the world. It also hosted the 12th International Tourism Mart from November 26 to 29, 2024, and is increasingly becoming vital in the development of sustainable tourism and wildlife conservation.
To encourage eco-tourism, the Assam government has launched green initiatives, including providing incentives to electric vehicle safari operations with a vision to reduce the environmental footprint of tourism at the park.
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