Overtourism may shut down more popular tourist Southeast Asia destinations

Overtourism could shut down more popular tourist destinations. At the same time that Thailand’s popular Maya Beach undergoes rehabilitation and a break from tourism, the Philippine island of Boracay may need a similar tourism reset.

A report in BuzzFeed highlighted the recent problems, which include beaches turned green by algae growth. While the algae is said to be a normal occurrence in the summer months, reports indicate that it may be more extreme due to poor waste management and an influx of visitors.

It has been recommended that the island close to tourists in order to take the time to facilitate rehabilitation.

“WWF-Philippines believes that sustainable tourism is anchored on three basic principles: environmental protection, community benefits, and visitor satisfaction,” reads a statement from the World Wildlife Fund on Facebook. “This is in no particular order as they are equally important and compromising one over the other will eventually have a negative impact on the viability of the tourism destination itself. Sustainability is striking the balance of these principles for long-term benefits.

‘In the case of Boracay, the issue of environmental protection has been compromised. The closure of Boracay will be incumbent upon addressing the issue of restoring the natural systems and mitigating tourism and/or domestic activities that cause damage to the environment.”

A similar situation has taken place in Thailand.

Maya Bay, on Phi Phi Leh island in the Andaman Sea, will officially be closed to all visitors for four months annually starting this June, says an Associated Press report. The decision was made this week by Thailand’s National Parks and Wildlife Department. By preventing visitation, the country hopes to give the area time for battered coral reefs and endangered sea life to recover.

“It’s like someone who has been working for decades and has never stopped,” said Thon Thamrongnawasawat, a prominent marine scientist and member of Thailand’s national strategy committee on environment development, in a statement to the Associated Press. “Overworked and tired, all the beauty of the beach is gone. We need a timeout for the beach.”

While the step may seem extreme, many of Thailand’s marine national parks are closed to visitors from mid-May to mid-October. Maya Bay has remained open since it gained popularity in the film “The Beach.”

Overtourism continues to be a problem globally and many tour operators are highlighting lesser-known destinations to travelers in order to combat the influx of visitors to some of the world’s most popular destinations.