Photo: Everett
It’s been 18 years since theLeonardo DiCaprio-led dramaThe Beachhit theaters. But apparently its popularity was such that over the years, millions of tourists have flooded to the actualThailand beach used in filming — destroying its coral reefs and sea life in the process.
In June, Thailand’s Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservationordered that Maya Bayon Phi Phi Leh island in the Andaman Sea shut down for four months so it could recover from the environmental damage from tourists, but on Monday, the department ordered an indefinite closure,CNN reports.
“If we don’t do something today, it will be too late,” Thanya Netithammakum, the government organization’s head, told the AP.
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One climate scientist, Thon Thamrongnawasawat, explained it the outlet this way: “It’s like someone who has been working for decades and has never stopped. Overworked and tired, all the beauty of the beach is gone. We need a timeout for the beach.”
Overall, tourism to the Southeast Asian nation has increased dramatically, according to the report, from 10 million in the year the movie was released to 35 million in 2017.
Everett
Thailand often closes it’s marine national parks from mid-May to mid-October, the AP notes. But a high-demand kept Maya Bay open year-round for nearly two decades.
In the process, marine biologists told the AP, sea life “virtually disappeared” and “a large part of the coral reef around the area is gone.”
When they planned to reopen the beach, only 2,000 tourist a day would have been allowed at the property. Boats, meanwhile, wouldn’t have been allowed to anchor there — instead, going to the opposite side of the island.
source: people.com
