When an island steps back from tourism
Under the current policy, Saint Martin’s Island remains closed to tourists for nine months of the year, allowing only day visits for one month and limited overnight stays for two months
For most of the year now, Saint Martin's Island exists without tourists, with the crowds that once defined Bangladesh's only coral island replaced by long stretches of quiet sea and shoreline.
From 1 February, tourism will be restricted again as part of the government's effort to protect the island's fragile ecosystem.
Under the current policy, the island remains closed to tourists for nine months of the year, allowing only day visits for one month and limited overnight stays for two months.
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While the move has caused concern among those dependent on tourism, it reflects a growing global approach that prioritises ecological recovery over unrestricted visitor access.
In line with the government restrictions, around 1,20,000 tourists visited the eight-square-kilometre island between December 2024 and January 2025 – two months when overnight stays are allowed.
The number is likely to be the same this season, too.
When tourism pauses for nature
Similar measures of limited tourism have been taken in fragile destinations around the world, from Southeast Asia to Europe, often after years of environmental damage caused by unchecked visitor pressure.
One of the most cited examples is Maya Bay in Thailand.
Once overwhelmed by mass tourism, the bay was closed to visitors from 2018 to early 2022 after studies showed that nearly 95% of its coral had been destroyed.
Boats were banned, anchors removed, and human activity largely eliminated.
According to an Asia News Network report, shark presence in the bay had dropped to almost zero before the closure, with live coral cover at around 8%.
After four years of ecological rest, more than 160 blacktip reef sharks were recorded, while coral cover rose to between 20% and 30%.
Thailand had previously also applied stricter measures elsewhere. Koh Tachai and Koh Yung have remained fully closed to terrestrial visits and shallow-water snorkelling since 2016 to prevent what authorities described as the "permanent loss" of the islands due to overcrowding.
In the Philippines, Boracay Island was closed for six months in 2018 for environmental rehabilitation. When it reopened, strict rules were imposed, including visitor caps, a 30-metre buffer zone along the shoreline, and the removal of unregulated beach activities.
In contrast, India's Lakshadweep Islands have followed a proactive model for decades, restricting visitor entry through a permit system and enforcing annual monsoon-season pauses to allow reefs to recover.
In Europe, France and Ireland limit daily visitors to sensitive island sites through reservation systems and seasonal closures to protect biodiversity and wildlife.
Saint Martin's 'rest model'
Saint Martin's draft Master Plan, prepared last year, follows the same principle of controlled access and ecological rest.
The plan proposes zoning the island into conservation areas, setting daily visitor caps of around 500 to 900 during peak season, and formally embedding the nine-month closure into long-term management.
At the moment, there is a daily cap of 2,000 tourists.
The model treats the island's ecosystem as the foundation of tourism itself – requiring periods of recovery to prevent permanent loss.
The finalised version of the plan, yet to be completed, is expected to guide management over the next decade and aims to prevent irreversible ecological loss while keeping the island viable for future generations.
According to the Department of Environment (DoE), early signs of recovery are already visible.
"Positive changes have definitely occurred. We have seen some biodiversity on the island that was not seen even a few years ago. Some flora and fauna have revived," said Khondaker Mahmud Pasha, deputy director (current charge) of the Cox's Bazar DoE.
Tourists, however, describe a mixed experience.
Tanjir Rahman, a journalist who visited Saint Martin's with his family earlier this month, said visible changes on the beach remain limited.
"There are no major changes, though some places are cleaner. No matter how much the Department of Environment tries, people are still leaving plastic waste and other garbage everywhere," he said, adding that littering by visitors continues to be a problem.
Tanjir said enforcement gaps remain, noting that while plastic water bottles were confiscated before boarding ships, many passengers still carried them onboard.
At the same time, he acknowledged some improvements in the visitor experience, particularly at night.
"Because there are no beach barbecues, fires or loud music, the nights are more peaceful, especially for families," he said.
However, with overnight stays now limited to two months, he said costs have risen sharply. "Transport fares on the island have doubled, food is more expensive, and resort and ship fares have gone up."
As Saint Martin's enters another extended period of quiet, it joins a number of destinations choosing restraint – stepping back from tourism to preserve the very nature that draws visitors in the first place.
In many fragile destinations, action came only after coral reefs vanished or ecosystems collapsed.
Saint Martin's reflects a different approach: slowing tourism before damage becomes irreversible. Whether this can also protect local livelihoods remains the island's key challenge.
