Southeast Asia's idyllic islands buckle under tourism strain

Airports have become chaotic, hotels are being thrown up with little regard for safety and sanitation, beaches are strewn with garbage and coral reefs are dying.

The six-month closure of the Philippine tourism island of Boracay for a revamp after the country's president branded it a "cesspool" reflects the growing pressures on beach resorts across Southeast Asia as visitor numbers surge.

Tourism experts say the region's infrastructure is buckling under record visitor numbers, especially as more Chinese holiday abroad, and expect more drastic measures to come.

Airports have become chaotic, hotels are being thrown up hastily with little regard for safety and sanitation, tropical beaches are strewn with garbage and coral reefs are dying.

Thailand already has plans to shut its famous Maya Bay in the Phi Phi islands for four months this summer, while an environmental group is calling for urgent government action to tackle a "crisis" on the Indonesian tourist island of Bali.

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 "Many out-of-control destinations across Asia will need clean-ups," said Brian King, associate dean of the School of Hotel and Tourism Management at Hong Kong Polytechnic University. "These may come from government, or industry or from NGO-driven community action. The danger is that little happens until the crisis point is reached."

He added: "Boracay is not the first and won't be the last closure."

Airlines have already started to cut back flights to Boracay, which had 2 million visitors last year, with the largest foreign contingents coming from China and South Korea, ahead of its closure on April 26.

The Philippines, which had record visitor numbers last year after three years of double-digit growth, estimates the Boracay closure could reduce full-year GDP by 0.1 percent.

It is also planning to inspect the beach resort of Puerto Galera, on the island of Mindoro, and is already looking at the resorts of El Nido and Coron, in Palawan province, where an influx oftourism and rapid development has put infrastructure under strain.

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 But rival tourist hotspots around the region are not all rubbing their hands at the prospect of the extra revenue from the redirected tourist traffic.

 

Kanokkittika Kritwutikon, the head of the Tourism Authority of Thailand's Phuket office, said the island was at "stretching point", particularly its airport, which has undergone a number of upgrades in recent years to try to cope with overcapacity.

"Our policy is to try to spread tourism around" from Phuket to "secondary destinations that are less well-known," said Kanokkittika. "Apart from guests arriving by plane to Phuket we also have boats coming in, including cruises, so you can imagine how many tourists come through Phuket."

The shutdown of Maya Bay in an attempt to salvage the area's coral reefs - which have been damaged by crowds of tourists and warmer temperatures - follows the closure of 10 popular Thai diving sites in 2016 after a National Parks survey found bleaching on up to 80 percent of some reefs.

Pattaya, south of Bangkok, serves as another cautionary tale.

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 An influx of western tourists from as far back as the 1960s, when American soldiers came on leave from the Vietnam war, and a construction boom in the 1990s transformed it from a picturesque fishing village to a town known for its seedy nightlife and high crime rate.

Thailand's tourism ministry expects 37.55 million tourists this year, up from a record 35 million in 2017, of which 9.8 million were from China.

Shutdowns "too late" 

Benjamin Cassim, a tourism lecturer at Temasek Polytechnic School of Business in Singapore, said the closures of Boracay and Maya Beach could become "test cases" and will be closely monitored by other countries with popular beach resorts.

A non-profit group in Indonesia has been calling on the government to tackle what it calls an "environmental crisis" in Bali, the country's most popular tourist island, which saw more than 5.5 million visitors last year.

Source -  e.vnexpress.net/

 

 

Thailand - Historical ceremony begins

Bangkok at centre of the nation's attentions as mourners turn out to pay their final respects.

ALL ROADS LEAD to Bangkok today for the start of the Royal Cremation Ceremony for the much-revered HM the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej. 

People have travelled by buses, private cars, trains and planes during the past days in the hope of getting as close as possible to the “Father of the Land” one last time. 

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The late monarch reigned over Thailand for seven full decades until his passing last year. People have been mourning his departure and are now prepared to bid him a heartfelt farewell. 

As of press time last night, thousands of black-clad people were sitting or lying on footpaths near the nine entrances to the prime zones for members of the public to attend the Royal Cremation. They were to be opened today at 5am. 

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 Deputy Metropolitan Police Commissioner Maj-General Jirasan Kaewsaeng-ek said officials had started clearing the areas last night before the reopening this morning.

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 The Royal Cremation Ceremony will run from today until Sunday, with the actual cremation taking place tomorrow. 

“I took a van ride from Nakhon Sawan province to attend the ceremony this week,” Piyapas Saengkhieo, 46, said as she queued for a shuttle bus to Sanam Luang, where the Royal Crematorium now stands tall next to the glittering Grand Palace. 

Aree Kantasak, a 60-year-old farmer from Lamphun province, said she would stay at Sanam Luang until the Royal Cremation ceremonies end. 

“I am not sure how near I can be to the ceremonial ground, but at least, I hope, I will be here for him,” she said. 

Montha Kanha and six friends from the border province of Nong Khai took a train to Bangkok, bringing along food, clothes, umbrellas and medicines so they, too, would stand by their beloved late King one last time. “From my birth, I have seen a lot of his royal projects. His royal guidance, such as the sufficiency economy philosophy, can apply to all aspects of life,” the 58-year-old teacher said. “We wish to see him off to Heaven.” 

Wichitra Busaba, a 53-year-old teacher, flew from Loei province to Bangkok but was prepared to sleep on the streets near Sanam Luang over the next few days. 

“I am here to pay final farewell to the late King,” she said. 

The government has estimated that about 250,000 mourners will turn up in areas near Sanam Luang tomorrow. Others can place sandalwood flowers at 85 replicas of the Royal Crematorium and hundreds of temples across Thailand to pay their final respects to one of the greatest Thai kings. 

Mourners near Sanam Luang will have a chance to see the royal processions in honour of the late King with their own eyes. People in other areas, meanwhile, can watch on TV, as the ceremonies will be broadcast live. 

PM’s Office Minister Omsin Chiwaphruek yesterday advised mourners to lay prostrate when the royal processions passed them, adding that umbrellas should not be raised at the time. 

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 “The royal processions and people along the way will be recorded and televised worldwide. Let’s act properly for the good image of the Royal Thai Kingdom,” he said.