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THAILAND, known for tropical beaches, opulent royal palaces, ancient ruins, and ornate temples, heavily depends on its tourism industry.
From its sprawling markets to its luxury shopping malls, to its bustling cities and thriving nightlife, to the laidback islands and the quaint towns, there’s hardly a moment of boredom.
The country is often in the media: when their utmost love for their late leader King Bhumibol Adulyadej was broadcast around the globe, when more than 1,000 from all over the world came together on a Tham Luang Cave rescue mission, the annual grand splashing time at its Songkran festival celebrations, Maya Bay’s closure, and the rise of its medical tourism destinations.
Much of the abovementioned is linked to its tourism industry, such as Maya Bay’s closure.
Aerial view of the iconic bay made famous by “The Beach” in Phi Phi islands, Thailand. Source: Shutterstock.
The spectacular beach cove located 30 minutes away from the popular Phi Phi island was made popular by 2000 hit movie The Beach. The success of the movie increased tourism to Thailand by 22 percent, on top of the inbound tourism numbers that it is already getting.
However, due to “critical” damage to its corals, the bay has been closed until Sept 30, 2018, to allow marine life to recover. In that time, no boats are allowed to moor in Maya Bay.
Polluted water from beach-front hotels, plastic rubbish dumped in the sea and physical damage from boat anchors are the cause of the coral damage.
“Maya Bay has been a victim of its own beauty and is now suffering from the effects of mass tourism,” The Sun reported.
Maya Bay’s white sand beach and turquoise water, and overtourism. Source: Shutterstock.
Moving forward, what else is Thailand doing to cope with its booming tourism industry while preserving its destinations at the same time?
Earlier this year, Thailand banned smoking on 24 beaches in 15 provinces, with hefty fines and even jail sentences being dished out as punishment if caught sparking up.
Thailand’s Tourism Minister Weerasak Kowsurat is also planning to install a reservation-only system to control the number of visitors to Maya Bay. Boats will be forced to dock at the back of the bay and there will only be a single entry point for tourists.
And as Thailand is now coming close to its tourism capacity, Weerasak is looking to promote less-traveled spots to tackle congestion in popular destinations (Bangkok, Phuket, Chiang Mai) as well.
On top of that, the country is investing billions of dollars into boosting capacity in its Bangkok, Phuket, and Chiang Mai airports as passenger traffic climbs.
The post How is Thailand coping with its overload of tourists? appeared first on Travel Wire Asia.
Source: travelwireasia.com