How tourism is destroying Asian countries, and what they’re doing about it

Every year, Earth Day arrives with a renewed sense of urgency for many. For those of us in the Asian diaspora, the climate crisis no longer feels like a future threat. It’s already creating real-world impacts in the places that we call home. In the past few years, there has been a sharp rise in climate-fueled disasters across Asia—many unfolding in or near major tourist regions and impacting more than a billion people.

In 2022, Pakistan suffered catastrophic floods that submerged a third of the country and displaced more than eight million people. In 2023, Typhoon Doksuri devastated parts of China, Vietnam, and the Philippines, causing the equivalent of millions of dollars in damage and disrupting travel across the region. In the same year, heatwaves scorched Southeast Asia, with Singapore, Hanoi, and Manila all recording temperatures above 40°C (105°F). Just this past month, Thailand issued extreme heat warnings across 36 provinces, reaching record-high temperatures. Water levels rising along the shores of Asian megacities like Hong Kong, Mumbai, and Ho Chi Minh City have raised major flooding concerns. And while tourism might appear to be a victim of these disruptions—with flights canceled, islands closed, resorts unable to host guests—it’s also one of the major contributors.

Traffic in Bangkok.

Anjana Pawa

Tourism plays a critical role in the economies of many Asian nations. Thailand, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, and the Philippines have all relied heavily on international tourism to create jobs, fund infrastructure, and boost their GDPs. But that same industry—which is built on air travel, rapid development and gentrification, and heavy energy consumption—is also what’s accelerating the climate crisis that threatens its own future.

Governments across Asia are attempting to enact policy changes to create a more sustainable future as a result of these extreme weather events. Bali has been struggling with overtourism and pollution in the surrounding ocean for years. The government enacted a one-time IDR 150,000 (about $10 USD) tourism fee in 2024 to fund environmental protection projects. Thailand has implemented seasonal closures for islands like Maya Bay, which was famously featured in 2000’s The Beach, after mass tourism led to coral bleaching and disruption in the water’s natural ecosystem. The bay was closed for three years and reopened with strict visitor limits to ensure that the habitat could naturally revive. These policies represent the growing awareness of the double-edge sword that is the tourism industry.

Though these efforts mark a shift toward more sustainable tourism, they don’t always address some of the inequities at play. The people who are affected long-term by climate disruption in these hotspots are rarely addressed. Climate disaster recovery efforts still tend to focus on restoring infrastructure and attracting tourists back. Indigenous groups in Malaysia’s Sabah region have protested and openly rejected coastal development projects that have displaced communities and restricted access to clean water. In Sri Lanka, fishermen have lost access to traditional fishing zones due to both rising sea levels and the privatization of the shore. These policies tend to center on what’s lost for tourists, not what’s lost for the local and native people, and what they’re losing: ancestral land, clean water, and stable food systems.

Mumbai's shore.

Anjana Pawa

The climate crisis is global, but its effects are usually disproportionately felt. Earth Day is a reminder that sustainability cannot be separated from equity. And it’s become increasingly true that the climate crisis and the tourism economy cannot be separated. As we mark Earth Day this year, it’s not enough to acknowledge the urgency of climate change and its impacts. We also have to ask some harder questions: Who benefits from tourism? Who is at risk when climate disasters strike? And what role do we as travelers, governments, and industries play in shaping a more equitable and sustainable future for our planet?