Langkawi at a crossroads: can ecosystem that draws tourists survive rising visitor numbers?
- Tourism is a double-edged sword for the ecologically rich Unesco geopark in Malaysia as far as conservationists are concerned
- Authorities and the archipelago’s tourism industry are working together to reduce the impact of visitors, whose numbers could top 4 million next year
Langkawi’s fragile ecosystem and natural heritage helped earn it Unesco geopark status. But as tourist arrivals in the Malaysian archipelago rise, it is increasingly crucial that tourism does not take a toll on the beauty visitors come to see.
“Tourism is a double-edged sword,” Irshad Mobarak says. “I’m an optimist, but I feel that we are at a very important crossroads between protecting Langkawi’s natural heritage and exploiting it.”
The Malaysian conservationist has been committed to preserving the islands for more than 30 years, when he visited to help several hotels set up operations. Then, fishing and agriculture were the main industries, but hopes were being pinned on driving the islands’ economy and transforming them into a tourist paradise.
“About 3½ years in, we realised Langkawi wasn’t just about beaches and duty free; there’s a lot to offer naturalists and nature lovers,” says Mobarak, president of Malaysia Ecotourism and Conservation Society.
In 2007, Langkawi was awarded Unesco geopark status, a prestigious title given to places of geological importance and currently bestowed on only 127 places around the world, including Hong Kong. During a 2011 assessment, the islands came close to losing their status when inspectors issued a yellow card, warning that authorities were failing to protect them properly.