The surge in tourist numbers across Asia is creating significant challenges. In Kyoto, Japan, which attracted over 56 million tourists last year, residents are complaining about overtourism and disrespectful behavior from foreign visitors. According to a Hokkaido University professor, the only effective solution is to implement physical barriers to control tourist flow and set a carrying capacity limit.
The Philippines' Boracay Island offers a similar case study. It was closed for six months in 2018 for environmental rehabilitation. The government introduced strict regulations, including a cap on the number of tourists and a ban on unlicensed accommodations. These measures have proven successful, with tourist numbers decreasing and the water becoming noticeably cleaner.
In Thailand, Maya Bay, made famous by the movie "The Beach," was closed to tourism for four years and is now subject to a two-month annual closure to allow its marine ecosystem to recover. Despite these efforts, many tourists continue to flout the rules, posing a persistent challenge for authorities.
Experts identify three major negative impacts of excessive tourism: environmental degradation, cultural erosion, and social imbalance due to rising prices. Analyst Gary Borman attributes the tourism boom to high post-pandemic demand, lower airfare prices to Asian destinations, and the growing middle class in populous nations like India and China.
While Asia's tourism sector experiences rapid growth, many historic cities, including Kyoto, Boracay, and Vietnam's Ha Long Bay, are grappling with overcrowding, which strains local communities and damages natural attractions.
