This is the second of two articles looking at the impacts of tourism on coral reefs and how the tourism market that is emerging post-Covid could be a boon for both reefs and the local communities that rely on them.

Over the last few decades, tourism has become an intrinsic and important part of many economies; this cannot be denied. This is particularly true in South East Asia, where islands that have become popular tourism destinations are suffering economically due to the collapse of tourism that followed the pandemic.

Or are they suffering?

I am certainly not going to deny that some communities are facing severe hardship as tourists stay away. But…as I mentioned in the previous article, a recent trip to Tioman island (one of those popular destinations) revealed that actually, the local residents are quite relaxed about things – they seem quite happy that they have “got their home back”.  

Malaysia, among other countries in the region, has seen massive growth in tourism. You only have to visit islands like Mantanani, which saw the number of day trippers grow from 50 per day to as many as 3,000 per day over a 10-year period. Clearly there are going to be impacts.

So how do we balance the impacts that tourism has – on ecosystems and communities – against the economic benefits? Do the benefits accrue to the host communities…or do they benefit a small number of corporations? Is unfettered tourism growth really the way forward, or are there different paths?

Let’s add tourism trends into the mix. Numerous industry studies all point to the same thing: tourism is going sustainable. What will the future tourism market look like? And are we adjusting to that new market?

According to the OECD report “Tourism Trends and Policies 2020”, top policy priorities seek to maximise the economic, environmental and social benefits that tourism can bring, while reducing the pressures that arise when this growth is unplanned and unmanaged. For example, efforts have been made to deal effectively with overcrowding at popular destinations, spread the economic and other benefits to areas that attract fewer visitors, develop new products to expand the season, and encourage increased productivity, better resource use, and more stable employment.

To ensure these policies are actually having the desired impact, countries are:

• strengthening co-ordination and implementation mechanisms

• reforming destination management practices

• modernising regulations

• adopting digital solutions

• strengthening dialogue with civil society

• engaging the private sector in policy making

Governments are actively fostering tourism development that brings clear economic benefits, while also providing a wider set of advantages for places, local communities, businesses, employees, and visitors. Tourism success can no longer simply be measured in terms of arrivals, jobs and income. Ensuring that local communities can more equally benefit from tourism is a prevailing policy trend and progress has been made.

A review of the tourism industry by specialist on-line tour company Regiondo identified active ecotourism, transformative travel, experience tourism and wellness travel as among 12 trends that are expected to shape the travel industry beyond 2022.

Active Ecotourism has emerged in response to calls for more sustainable and thoughtful tourism. It encourages combining the passion for travel with direct involvement in conservation and supporting the local environment.

According to a recent Amadeus survey on rebuilding travel, people consider cost-effective sustainable travel a priority. 37% of travellers surveyed think opportunities for travellers to be involved in the preservation of tourist destinations will help the industry to become more sustainable in the long term.

According to Evolve’s 2022 travel forecasts, 58% of people will be more interested in exploring the outdoors and practicing relevant activities including hiking, biking, and kayaking. Mountain/rural escapes and waterfront getaways are expected to be popular vacation experiences in the future.

These views are echoed in other industry commentaries, such as Revfine, which says that today’s tourists don’t want to be insulated from the places they visit inside a cultural bubble. They want to engage with and participate in the local culture. From enjoying local cuisine to celebrating regional festivals and holidays, local experiences are set to become some of the top tourist trends to watch. One example of a popular local experience might be a long stay with a host family in the destination country as a means to learn more about the local culture.

Finally, Booking.com’s annual Sustainable Travel Report 2021 indicates a continuing trend for more sustainable travel:

•  83% of global travellers think sustainable travel is vital, with 61% saying the pandemic has made them want to travel more sustainably in the future

• Almost half (49%) still believe that in 2021, there aren’t enough sustainable travel options available, with 53% admitting they get annoyed if somewhere they are staying stops them from being sustainable, for example by not providing recycling facilities

• Respect for the local community is also high on the list as almost three quarters (73%) want to have authentic experiences that are representative of the local culture when they travel

• 84% believe increasing cultural understanding and preservation of cultural heritage is crucial and 76% want to ensure the economic impact of the industry is spread equally in all levels of society.

• Furthermore, 69% will go as far as avoiding popular destinations and attractions to ensure they aren’t contributing to overcrowding challenges and helping do their part to disperse the positive benefits of travel to less frequently visited destinations and communities.

Our surveys of coral reefs around Malaysia in 2021 have revealed some interesting trends. Some of the data indicate that the health of coral reefs (as measured by hard coral cover) has increased in some areas. Could this be a recovery enabled by less tourists diving and snorkelling on the reefs? That could point to a very important conservation strategy – and equally to a more sustainable approach to tourism.

How does all this relate to Malaysia?

There are calls that echo the “build back better” concept that is widely heard today. But how do we “build back better” with tourism in mind?

It seems that our local competitors (Thailand, Philippines, Indonesia) are all actively looking at more sustainable tourism. The Bangkok Tribune reported in November 2021 that the pandemic has:

“created an opportunity for the country to review and recalibrate its environmentally harmful (tourism) model, and turn the focus to biodiversity-based tourism to make it far more sustainable”.

Gone are the days of hordes of beach tourists; a new, more sustainable future is in store for tourism in Thailand. Similar moves are under way in the Philippines and Indonesia.

Perhaps it is time for Malaysia, too, to consider its tourism strategy. Islands such as Tioman remain largely un-developed – though development pressures are increasing, with calls from some quarters for a new airport and additional resorts – to increase the number of visitors four-fold. As pointed out in previous articles, the island’s infrastructure can barely cope during the busy tourism season at current visitor numbers. How will it manage with such an increase?

Perhaps it is time to listen to the market: start to draw up plans for smaller numbers of tourists, but go up the value chain and provide higher-value products that will cater to the emerging market for authentic, local experiences in pristine environments and with close cultural ties. That wouldn’t only meet the needs of tourists…it might just meet the needs of local communities and ecosystems, too.

That’s how to “build back better”.