Uluru to Santorini: Global destinations shutting doors on tourists
Nature, monuments, and the lives of local residents all suffer when tourism in a particular area begins to spiral out of control. Often, it is the residents themselves who raise the alarm that something is amiss and that change is necessary. Currently, we are witnessing protests in Mallorca and Tenerife. However, some locations have already renounced tourism for good.
One such place is Uluru, the sacred mountain of Australian Aborigines, known to many as Ayers Rock. In 2019, at the indigenous people's request, it was closed to climbers. The mountain's characteristic reddish hue is vital to the local Anangu tribe.
This is our home. Please, do not climb it - TVN24 quotes the sign at the base of the mountain.
Tourists brought fungi and mould. European caves closed to them
Tourists are no longer allowed into the Spanish cave of Altamira or the French cave of Lascaux. Both caves house rock drawings believed to have been created during the late Palaeolithic period, which was from 17,000 to 12,000 years ago. Unfortunately, the popularity of the caves led to increased tourism, which brought with it higher levels of humidity, warmth, and carbon dioxide. Altamira was closed to tourists in 2001.
Lascaux was discovered in 1940 but was already closed to visitors in 1963. The reason? Tourism caused fungi and mould to appear, and the rock paintings began to fade.
Today, tourists can visit replicas of the Altamira and Lascaux caves.
The heavenly beach and a down-to-earth problem
For Thai authorities, Maya Bay Beach was a huge tourist attraction. Known from the film "The Beach," it drew thousands of people worldwide each year. This rapidly became very burdensome, especially for nature. In 2018, the Thai authorities decided to close Maya Bay, whose coral reef was destroyed by the overwhelming number of tourists.
Tourist traffic returned in 2022 but with restrictions. Tourists are only allowed on the beach from 10 AM to 4 PM for up to one hour per visit. Additionally, a maximum of eight boats can dock at the pier.
At the start of this tourist season, residents in places like Barcelona, Granada, Seville, and Mallorca began protesting. Meanwhile, residents in Tenerife carried a banner stating, "The Canary Islands have their limit."
In recent weeks, an absurd situation occurred on the Greek island of Santorini, where more tourists arrived than the number of residents. Local authorities had to request that the residents stay home to avoid paralysing the island.
