If you’re in need of a perfect example as to why ecotourism is so important, you don’t need to look any further than the recent closure of Maya Bay in Thailand.
For the first time ever, Maya Bay has closed to tourism. After sustaining severe damage at the hands of over-tourism, this famous bay has been given a much needed period of time to recoup. There is no current reopening date set in stone.
As tourists, we are guests in other countries. We should be striving to leave a destination better than we found It, at the very least, not filled with plastic bottles, cups and cigarette butts.
Edit July 2020: Maya Bay is still closed. It’s reopening date has been set for mid-2021 sometime.
Why was Maya Bay closed to tourism?
It is common for Thai National Parks to have a 4-month break to allow the environment to recover. At its peak, Maya Bay was receiving anywhere from 4000-6000 visitors, around 200 boats, daily.
This number might not seem all that much, but the trash left behind adds up until it becomes too much for the fragile marine life that lives in this beautiful area of Thailand.
Thailand’s Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP) is the government body who initiated the close and has said it will remain closed until “natural resources return to normal”.
Before it’s closure, an estimate was given that Maya Bay might see up to 2.5 million visitors in the year of 2018. Studies from marine biologists show exactly what has been damaged. With large chunks of coral reef gone and sea life only a fraction of what it used to be, it may take years for the marine life to return as rich as it was once.
How was Maya Bay visited by tourists?
Before Maya Bay was shut for the first time due to ecological recovery, hordes of tourists visited via boat. Visiting by speedboat was one of the most common ways, followed by a long tail boat ride.
Many tours left from Koh Phi Phi Island, but was also accessible from Phuket and Krabi. After all, it’s only a one-hour speedboat ride from Phuket.
It was one of Thailand’s most picturesque locations and attracting as many visitors as it did shows just how popular it had become for travelers to Thailand.
I visited the area myself in January 2018, 6 months before the closure. I took an “early bird tour” to Maya Bay, and was able to enjoy the tranquil and pristine beauty before thousands of tourists flooded the soft sands around the bay.
How long is Maya Bay on Phi Phi Island closed for?
Maya Bay was originally planned for closure from June 1st to September 30th in 2018. But was extended indefinitely as of October 1st 2019. Since then, mid-2021 is now the tentative date of reopening.
Director of Office of National Parks, Songthan Sukswang, told how four months was not long enough for Maya Bay to recover, and that it’s expected to take at least a year to see significant improvement.
Why has Maya Bay become so popular?
Other than its towering limestone cliffs and golden soft sands, the area rose to fame in other ways.
Leonardo DiCaprio starred in the 2000 blockbuster “The Beach”, showcasing the natural beauty of the crystal waters and golden sands. Slowly gaining popularity over the years, 2018 was set to be a huge increase on the previous year. Estimated around half a million more visitors in 2018 than in 2017, if the bay hadn’t shut halfway through the year.
What was it like before the closure?
Many visitors flocked to the shores of one of Thailand’s most well known bays, a short boat ride from Koh Phi Phi Don Island, in hopes of seeing a real-life paradise.
And it was. As I mentioned above, I visited the bay in January 2018, 6 months before the closure. Being one of the very first boats to anchor just offshore, it was a stunning view. Everything was just like it was in the pictures. The golden sand, clear and pristine waters.
But the negative effects of countless human visitors had already taken its toll, even if it wasn’t obvious on the surface.
As boat after boat pulled up, it became a little more obvious what we were doing could be permanently damaging this fragile destination.
From the short amount of time I spent on the shores of Maya Bay, it quickly grew into a much different sight. Above is a photo I took around 30 minutes later!
Where else can negative effects of tourism be seen?
Unfortunately, the damage done by tourism to Maya Bay isn’t an isolated incident.
During my time spent around Phi Phi Island, I encountered a much more obvious impact from human interaction. It was on the “Early Bird Tour” that left from Phi Phi Don.
Monkey Beach is a popular spot on Phi Phi Don Island. For just what it sounds like. Monkeys frequent the beach as they are commonly fed by tourists. They are most likely dependent on humans to survive at this point as they are so accustomed to an easy meal.
What was shocking is the trash left behind. This monkey had enough practice with a plastic water bottle that he had no problems using as it was intended.
It’s images like this that should make it clear why Maya Bay had to be shut down indefinitely. We, collectively as tourists, should be making sure natural beauty stays natural.
Maya Bay in Thailand – A case of tourism vs environment?
Apart from keeping a wild monkey from drinking out a water bottle and surrounded by our human garbage, there are many reasons why we should always have the environment at the front of our minds while traveling.
If all the inspirational and beautiful places in the world are devastated by over-tourism, wildlife and marine life relocate, or worse, die off – what are we going to leave for others and future generations to experience?
At the rate the bay was declining, there wouldn’t be too much left for even the next generation.
Collectively as tourists, we should feel disgusted when we visit a natural habitat to find trash littering the sands and waters. We should be wanting to make a positive impact.
We should be ensuring the world lives on for others to enjoy and experience – not taking it for granted because one day there won’t be anything left to take for granted.
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Short video on Maya Bay being closed to tourism
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Happy and safe travels,
Ben – Horizon Unknown
