As the saying goes, if you want a destination to remain pristine, don’t open it up to tourists. That’s a saying right? Or maybe we just made it up. Either way, it’s a commonly shared belief.
Country leaders (and locals) have a love/hate relationship with visitors.
On the one hand, they’re good for boosting the local economy. They’re eager to absorb every aspect of a new destination and (for the most part) they’re willing to fork over the cash to do it.
On the other hand, not everything they touch turns to gold. In some cases, natural landscapes are destroyed and tainted by their large numbers.
Thai authorities say that’s what’s happening to one of their popular islands, Koh Tachai, which is why they’ve decided to close it off to visitors.
Most of the island, located off the Phangnga province, and its beaches will be off limits indefinitely, while the marine national parks will close from Mid-May to mid-October.
The Director General of the Department of National Parks, Tunya Netithammakul, said shutting out visitors will “allow the rehabilitation of the environment both on the island and in the sea”.
He said it was important to ensure the island’s environment recovers “before the damage is beyond repair”.
