5 Beautiful Places in the World Ruined by Overtourism

3. Maya Bay, Thailand

Insider Monkey Score: 9.9

Maya Bay was a filming location for Danny Boyle’s The Beach (2000), which starred Leonardo DiCaprio. Ever since, the beach has witnessed heaps of tourists each year, at the neglect of the island’s natural beauty. In 2018, the beach was sealed off to tourists after it was estimated that nearly 50% of the neighboring corals had been destroyed by boat anchors and the shark population had declined considerably. Since 2022, the beach has been reopened with the introduction of sustainable protocols.