Sand, Surf and Shorelines

The government's plan to raise foreign exchange revenues from the tourism sector must go hand in hand with the awareness of the need to protect the environment. Tourism should not mean ruthless exploitation of the ecosystem. It is, after all, dependent on the conservation of nature's beauty.

The government has set a target for the next four years, four times the US$10 billion it earned from tourism in 2014. Although this sounds ambitious, it is not that much when compared with those of our neighbors. Tourism contributes US$40 billion to the Thai economy, while Malaysia makes US$20 billion.

November 17, 2015