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Maya Bay closure upsets tour firms (Maya Bay (have been regularly closed…
Maya Bay closure upsets tour firms
Maya Bay
in Krabi
the famous tourist site
closure
cause of
to visitors has been extended
to allow the damaged marine ecosystem to fully recover
make
drawing immediate protests from tour operators.
The globally renowned beach
have been regularly closed since June 1 nearby bays
and nearby bays
in Koh Phi Phi
in Hat Noppharat Thara-Mu Koh Phi Phi National Park
initially for the monsoon season
reopened around Oct 1 2018.
became globally famous after the movie The Beach
starring Leonardo DiCaprio
was shot there in 1999.
considered
the most visited national park site,
bringing around 400 million baht
in revenue last year.
During the peak season
about 5,000 visitors
more than double its capacity
have been visiting the beach on Maya Bay
that is only 250 metres in length and 15 metres in width.
The Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation
or DNP
decided to do so after learning the marine environment needs time to repair
after sustaining serious damage
due to the hordes of day-tripping tour groups.
announcement
was made on Sept 28
by Thanya Nethithammakul
the head of the DNP
to close the bay and nearby La Dalam beach indefinitely from Oct 1 onward
until the marine and coastal resources and environment return to normal.
campaign to restore the environment
to its previous state
planted more than 1,000 corals in 25 rai of the bay
will continue to expand the area.
Marine National Park chief Worapoj Lomlim
on Tuesday
that during the meeting,
said
experts expressed concern the coral reefs have been damaged and need more time to repair.
the director of the Office of National Parks.
said
'We need at least a year or even up to two years' for rehabilitation,'
announcement
brought howls of protest from tour firms
related businesses in Krabi.
Wattrapol Chanthararo
chairman of the Koh Phi Phi Tourism Business Club
said
the closure of Maya Bay would certainly affect tourism on the island as a whole. Authorities did not seek the views of any local residents before making the decision.
Tourists who already booked tour packages to visit the bay during dates after the closure would not be able to enter the area. This would affect tourism not just on Koh Phi Phi, but also in Krabi province in general
he will call a meeting of club members on Oct 8 or 9 to discuss ways around the problems caused by the closure.