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The Covid-19 epidemic has deprived the country of visitors and income, but nature is benefiting: the fauna and flora are reviving, freed from pollution and nuisances linked to tourism. A report by “Special Envoy”.
The Covid-19 epidemic has deprived Thailand of visitors, like the island of Phuket, which has lost 90% of its 14 million annual tourists. Nearby, the paradise beach of Maya Bay, made famous by Leonardo DiCaprio in the film The beach, had been a victim of its beauty: 5,000 daily visitors had disfigured it, trampling the corals. Today, the fauna and flora are coming back to life, and the landscapes have regained their splendor.
The decline of mass tourism?
The authorities took the opportunity to accelerate the shift towards eco-responsible tourism and turn towards more reasoned development. In September 2021, the government announced that all 127 national parks would be closed each year for several months to give nature a rest. A policy already applied in the Similan Islands, in the west of the country, a laboratory for new tourism, under high protection.
A report by Hakim Abdelkhalek, Yvan Martinet, Romain Boutilly, John Monputet broadcast in “Special Envoy” on January 20, 2022.
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