The optimism behind the success of tourism statistics continues, at least in government circles despite lingering reminders that, if not done right, that much loved increase in traveller numbers will put undue strain on the resources and infrastructure of all developed and underdeveloped islands. We just need to look at tropical escapes like Aklan’s Boracay and Palawan’s El Nido in the Philippines to see signs of buckling under the weight of overwhelming tourism flows. They are monitoring carefully, are we?
The Palawan State of the Marine Environment report released this March 2025 highlighted harmful tourism practices and increased development as among the most significant threats to the pristine marine environment of the island province and the hardest drivers of habitat decline. This is what it said:
“There is a wide range of well-known tourism impacts in Palawan – such as those associated with boat activities, pollution, as well as human waste and wastewater,” Dr Billy Tusker Haworth of the University of Sydney and the report’s co-author said. “But there are also lesser-known environmental impacts like trampling (usually accidental) of coral reefs by tourists, as well as noise and light pollution from construction and development.” Haworth noted that to address tourism impacts, there needs to be restrictions imposed on specific activities for the protection of critical species or areas.
But the report also highlighted the stewardship strategies of the Indigenous Tagbanua tribe in Palawan’s Calauit Island who have embraced ecotourism while championing the protection of endangered dugongs in the dive destination. So, some positive news.
Community-led initiatives on the island put strict limits on daily tourist numbers with visitors required to adhere by mandatory pre-booked visiting times, alongside 15-minute dive time limits, and five-metre animal proximity limits. These are to minimise the stress to dugongs and interruptions to their normal routines. The measures have led to some recovery in dugong numbers.
And there has been actual positive rulings too when recently, the local government of Bohol declared a ban on all forms of tourist interactions with whale sharks amid a reported rise in unregulated operators and illegal whale shark feeding practices. The order was issued after an inter-agency investigation found that tour operators in the coastal towns of Lila, Alburquerque and Dauis were illicitly dumping large amounts of krill to lure the endangered whale sharks closer to shore and entice them to stay. This is in violation of a local ordinance banning the feeding of migratory marine mammals.
“There is an urgent need for more education about the environment and the potential impacts of [tourism] activities,” said Haworth. Do we have such a report on the diving activities conducted around Bali, especially Nusa Penida and Nusa Lembongan?
“Education should include not only information on permitted or restricted activities or locations, but information on why those measures are necessary. People may be more likely to adhere to restrictions or other measures if they understand the reasoning for them.”
The United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) highlights ‘overtourism’ or ‘tourism congestion’ as a risk in popular destinations, as it not only affects the quality of experience of travellers but also deteriorates the quality of life of locals. Currently, 95 per cent of the world’s tourists are concentrated on less than 5 per cent of the world’s land mass, according to UNWTO.
In its Managing Overtourism report, the UN agency outlined the need to implement strict carrying capacity limits on tourism sites and destinations as a sustainable science-based solution. Carrying capacity is defined as the maximum number of people that may visit a destination at the same time, without causing destruction of the physical, economic and sociocultural environment of a site.
Boracay Island – once labelled a ‘cesspool’ by the Philippines’ former president – is an important cautionary tale. In 2018, the Philippine resort was closed by the government for six months to allow “rehabilitation” and reopened with a cap on visitors. It still struggles with problems such as inadequate garbage management, sanitation issues and rolling blackouts; at the same time, local vendors are upset that the decline in tourist numbers is hurting their livelihoods. Post-pandemic, the island has struggled to bounce back. It welcomed about 2.08 million tourists in 2024, a dip from 2023’s 2.12 million.
For now, multinational conglomerate and developer San Miguel Corporation is pushing for the construction of a bridge to connect Boracay to the mainland, as well as to ease some of the island’s waste and water security issues. However, critics have pointed out that the structure will likely exacerbate the island destination’s carrying capacity issues.
I have long been an advocate for “carrying capacity” as a really good determining factor in how we manage tourist arrivals. “More” is simply not better any more. And we do not need to look any further than our neighbours who have very similar products to us, to see what can happen if we let things get any worse.
Is Bali prepared to be shut down for six months to sort things out? I think not. Yet we had nearly two years of shut down during the Covid pandemic to “build back better” and we did what we always do: “biarin aja”, or let things be. And that’s where we are today. We better invite Dr Billy Tusker to come and have a look before it’s too late
