Subscribe
Login
Tourism

New Calm Created by Coronavirus Offers Southeast Asia Chance to Redo Sustainable Tourism

Xinyi Liang-Pholsena

Photo Credit: Sea kayaking through the mangrove forests of Ao Thalane, a fishing village in Krabi, Thailand. Adobe / Kalyakan

Skift Take

If the current crisis has taught us anything, it’s that destinations must put sustainability at the top of the agenda to thrive. Will coronavirus be a turning point for Southeast Asia’s volume-fixated tourism model?

It's a common story repeated across Asia now — and elsewhere. In the brief time that tourists are retreating from Asia's popular destinations due to the coronavirus pandemic, wildlife are spotted around the region's deserted waters and beaches in greater numbers than before. Phuket’s now-deserted shores are seeing the most number of nests of rare leatherback sea turtles in two decades, while dugongs have been spotted cruising in Trang’s waters. At Cambodia’s Angkor Wat, where getting a picture without a tourist in the background was once a feat, the challenge during the global pandemic is to find travelers lingering amid its ancient grounds.

Get the Latest on Coronavirus and the Travel Industry on Skift's Liveblog

Time to Put Things Right As the coronavirus pandemic abruptly changed the global overtourism tide to undertourism in just a matter of weeks, the sudden disappearance of tourists from Asia's popular destinations is laying bare the many issues that the region's relentless pursuit of mass tourism has brought. Instead of looking to restore status quo, sustainability tourism professionals say now is an ideal time for destination leadership and industry stakeholders to plan for how they want the post-pandemic recovery to be. Le

Get unlimited access with Skift Pro.

Subscribe now for complete access to Skift.com's trusted coverage of the travel industry.

Apple Pay, Google Pay, Paypal, VISA, Mastercard, Discover, American Express

Already a subscriber? Login