Tourists love to Travel to Thailand and consider it as an important destination. Maya Bay is a beautiful cove and considered to be one of the country's most famous attractions. It had closed its gates in 2018 to undertake a rejuvenation program for its decimated corals. The intention was to grant them a new lease of life. Officials in Thailand have now declared a reopening date. Thailand's Department of National Parks have indicated the date as January 1, 2022. The world came to know about Maya Bay, the beautiful cove, through the 2000 film "The Beach" starring Leonardo DiCaprio.
The popular destination was off limits to tourists since June 2018 for reasons other than the Coronavirus pandemic. This virus took a heavy toll of lives all over the world and left businesses in tatters. Those associated with travel had to innovate in order to survive. This was especially true for countries whose economy depended on tourism. In June, Thailand mentioned about reopening of Phuket to visitors. There are two islands in the Krabi province of Thailand. Maya Bay is located in the National Park of one of these islands known as Phi Phi Leh. In view of the size of this island, it used to be open to day-trip visitors before closure of Maya Bay. The other island Phi Phi Don is larger and boasts of multiple budget and mid-range accommodation.
Prior to its closure, day-trippers frequented Maya Bay in Thailand
Maya Bay in Thailand gained prominence after global success of "The Beach." This was the venue for filming portions of the movie. Prior to closure, it was a very popular tourist destination. Day-trippers from Phuket would arrive by speedboat because the journey took less than an hour.
In 2018, Maya Bay welcomed 5,000 visitors per day on an average. Thailand's Natural Resources and Environment minister explains: "Maya Bay has been continuously receiving interest from tourists around the world. But this has also caused (the natural area) to deteriorate, especially the corals." He adds that after the closure, the health of Maya Bay has improved.
Reopening of Maya Bay in Thailand is conditional
The authorities have issued guidelines for reopening of Maya Bay in Thailand. One of these is a ban on entry of boats into the bay. The boat drivers have to drop passengers at a point that will be at a distance from the famed cove. There will be a restriction on the number of boats at any given time. This will be eight speedboats. Duration of the visit would be one hour, with a limit of 300 tourists per round. The timing would be 10 a.m. to 4p.m daily. Water activities are expected to be ready by the January 1 reopening. Permission exists to go snorkeling in the front of the bay in designated zones.
Corals of Maya Bay in Thailand suffered damages
The famed Maya Bay in Krabi province closed its doors in June 2018. It was the result of over tourism that led to destruction of coral reefs and the marine ecology. On a rough estimate, more than half of the corals suffered major damage. In order to restore the natural beauty of the bay, officials of the Park planted coral on the reefs. The corals in the Great Barrier Reef of Australia are in danger from global warming. These reefs are habitats for marine lives and their loss means ecological instability.
