#Protectedareas

As travellers increasingly seek out landscapes and species thought to be vanishing under rising seas, warming oceans and melting ice, researchers warn that last-chance or “see-it-before-it’s-gone” tourism can both raise awareness and accelerate destruction if poorly managed. New scholarship frames the trend as a distinct policy challenge — dubbed eco-necrotourism — that forces park managers, tour operators and governments to contend with visitors’ grief, grief-driven demand, and the legal and practical limits of access. The debate matters for Thailand because coral reefs, mangroves and other coastal attractions already under stress draw millions of domestic and international visitors whose choices will shape local livelihoods and the country’s nature-based tourism future.

As travellers increasingly seek out landscapes and species thought to be vanishing under rising seas, warming oceans and melting ice, researchers warn that last-chance or “see-it-before-it’s-gone” tourism can both raise awareness and accelerate destruction if poorly managed. New scholarship frames the trend as a distinct policy challenge — dubbed eco-necrotourism — that forces park managers, tour operators and governments to contend with visitors’ grief, grief-driven demand, and the legal and practical limits of access. The debate matters for Thailand because coral reefs, mangroves and other coastal attractions already under stress draw millions of domestic and international visitors whose choices will shape local livelihoods and the country’s nature-based tourism future (An ethical guide to last-chance tourism).

A growing trend in travel invites visitors to witness habitat loss before it disappears. Researchers warn that “see-it-before-it’s-gone” tourism can raise awareness but may hasten damage if poorly managed. Scholars frame this as eco-necrotourism, a policy challenge for park managers, tour operators, and governments who must balance visitors’ grief with practical access limits. For Thailand, where coral reefs and mangroves draw millions of travelers, the way this trend is handled will shape livelihoods and the future of nature-based tourism.