Iriomote Island limits visitors to 1,200 per day- CNN.co.jp

Published Wednesday 2023.04.05 13:42 JST

(CNN) The Okinawa prefectural government recently announced that it will limit the number of tourists visiting Iriomote Island, a World Natural Heritage Site, to 1,200 per day.

The purpose is to prevent tourism pollution and protect the Iriomote cat designated as a special natural monument of Japan.

Before the pandemic, about 300,000 tourists visited the island, which has a population of just 2,400. The new rules set a cap of 33,000 per year.

In recent years, the island has been flooded with tourists every peak season, resulting in water shortages and frequent traffic accidents. There are countless cases of feral cats being killed or injured by cars.

Laws restricting tourists have yet to be formally passed, but local officials are urging travel agencies to cooperate.

Iriomote Island is the second largest island in Okinawa Prefecture. Known for its raw beauty. Its proximity to Taiwan and its year-round mild climate make it a popular destination for diving, swimming and hiking.

Okinawa Prefecture also said it would impose restrictions next year on five sites in the prefecture that have been designated as World Heritage Sites by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). It can set a maximum number of people, set a time difference, or require advance booking.

Compared with other countries, Japan has been slow to resume receiving tourists after the epidemic, but now tourists are returning, and the problem of “overtourism” that affects the lives of residents has repeatedly appeared.

In the same Asian country, Indonesia’s Komodo Island also raised its entrance fee to 3.75 million rupiah (about 33,500 yen) to 3.75 million rupiah (about 33,500 yen) as many tourists come to see the world The largest lizard in the world – the Komodo dragon. Initially, there were plans to keep tourists out.