
Maya Bay is possibly one of the most legendary places in Thailand. Funnily adequate, irrespective of the huge natural beauty of the bay, it gained its position generally soon after showcasing in the movie The Seaside in 2000 which starred Leonardo DiCaprio.
All over the several years, masses of visitors visited the bay to see its natural beauty with their personal eyes. According to estimates, at some point the location was visited by an astonishing 6000 persons per working day.
The consequences of overtourism
Offered the reality that the bay is not accurately enormous, it is crystal clear that this condition was much from sustainable. Authorities experienced to offer with plenty of concerns with regards to overtourism in the bay, from garbage on the beach to damages to the ecosystem, including the coral.
At some stage, locals made a decision that sufficient was adequate and just after they expressed their dissatisfaction with the gruesome circumstance, Maya Bay was shut to the community in 2018.
At initially the plan was to ban the public from visiting the island for 4 months. Nonetheless, provided that there was a ton to do to restore the ecosystem and develop the required infrastructure for the safety of it in the upcoming, the closure lasted considerably extended.
But it ought to be said that this closure benefited the ecosystem of the bay drastically, as it is now in considerably superior condition than just about 4 yrs back, with numerous animals having returned to Maya Bay in the absence of persons.
Bay reopens to foreign vacationers
And pretty much 4 several years soon after, Maya Bay re-open to international guests. The “doors” to the bay opened on January 1, 2022. Nevertheless, guests have to abide by the introduced principles and limitations. From the url over you can look at what guidelines you really should follow.
According to these regulations, boats are not permitted to enter the bay and vacationers are dropped off at a pier behind the island. Only eight speedboats are allowed to dock below at the exact time.
What’s more, excursions are restricted to a single hour, with a maximum of 300 tourists allowed per tour. The bay “operates” from 10 am to 4 pm. Travelers are obliged to make a reservation to acquire section in these tours.
Lastly, swimming in the seawaters of the bay is prohibited owing to the actuality that they are the residence to 161 blacktip reef sharks. Area authorities want to maintain the population of this species whose number grew immensely considering the fact that 2018 (an estimated 6 back again then).
Consequently, as Maya Bay re-open to overseas readers after practically 4 a long time, Thailand is on the lookout to put into action a sustainable tourism model which could most likely inspire several other locations all over the world to follow the exact same route with the intention of the defense of the environment.