Maya Bay, a picturesque tourist hotspot in Thailand’s Ko Phi Phi islands, reopens to visitors from January 2022, as confirmed by the Thai Department of National Parks.
Pollution and environmental damage caused by the heavy inflow of tourists was the reason for Maya Beach’s 2018 closure by officials responsible for Wildlife and Plant Conservation. The site’s popularity rose dramatically after it was featured in Leonardo Dicaprio’s 2000 movie ‘The Beach,’ thanks to its iconic karst cliffs shielding a bay with crystal clear water and white-powder sands.
Before the closure, as many as 6000 tourists would visit Maya Bay daily, leaving behind plastic litter, polluted waters, sand erosion, and disturbed wildlife and vegetation. It is alleged that between 50% and 80% of the bay’s coral system had been wiped out by boat anchors transporting tourists.
Raised concerns among Thai citizens prompted the initial 4-month closure of Maya Bay for restoration works. As coral only grows half an inch per year, the closure was prolonged to let the bay’s ecosystems recover from the detrimental effects of mass tourism.
“After shutting down Maya Bay to revive and restore it, up until the present, it has returned to a good condition,” said Thai officials for CNN. Since 2018, the Bay has undergone a rejuvenation program, including cleaning works, replanting of trees and coral, and building new tourism infrastructure.
From January 2022, visitors will be allowed to visit the bay by following the new entry rules. The boats will drop off tourists at piers situated away from the bay. A boardwalk, designed to prevent further sand erosion, will lead them through the natural landscape of the Hat Noppharat Tara – Mu Ko Phi Phi National Park.
The maximum number of tourists allowed on the bay at a time will be limited to 300 people, while visits will be capped at 1 hour, allowing for 7 to 8 daily rounds of visitors from 10 am to 4 pm. The shores of Maya Bay will be off-limits for boats, which will only be allowed to dock at the new piers.
The closure and new protective measures have seen the return of marine wildlife to the bay. Thanks to specially designated water areas, snorkelling and other water activities will be available, allowing tourists to explore its magnificent ecosystems while protecting it from environmental damage.
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