Tourism is important for many Asian countries like Thailand that has access to beautiful beaches that attract troves of westerners each year. For these countries, the rewards are great as they rake in profits each year. But, there is a limit to sustainability and upkeep these areas can manage to remain pristine and clean. Organized activities like "Shade of Blue Ocean" are needed to impress upon local and tourists, why minimizing wastes and ocean cleanup is needed to protect the environment.
As more tourists' flock to Thailand, which known is for its night-life and the spectacular beaches that are one of the few anywhere, the need for upcycling has never been this great. But when the mounting environmental pollution is being brought to the forefront of everyone concerned, whether they like it or not, there exists a demand for urgent ocean cleanup.
The yearly activity that has been ongoing for three years, is just another in a string of efforts to publicize the effects of dirtying up the oceans. One of the goals of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is in keeping its CSR initiative be one of the greenest oriented authorities in Asia tourism. One of the objectives is to regulate the going ons of the daisy chain from tourists and everyone involved in the industry.
Profits are important but taming the effects of human activities by regulation, education will keep the environment clean. One of Thailand's revenues are gained from tourism, and sustainable practices and tourism go together, compared to other countries, it's one of the best maintained.
For the 2019 "Shade of Blue Ocean", it was a two-day exercise involving 500 people from various sectors of the Thai tourism business. The emphasis was cleaning up the sea as a worthwhile activity that involves the community, with any exception who anyone is. Responsibility to keep the oceans clean is on everybody. Especially, those who need to keep it as pristine to keep the sustainable aspect of tourism. The other side of the coin is a ruined environment, because of trash and other deplorable activities. One end result is a dead environment and no one earns from it.
Highlights of the activity were cleaning up and seeing the results first hand. Knowing how to classify garbage, for better disposal and most of all what can be recycled from it. Bad enough that trash is thrown into the sea, but not choosing kinds of trash will add to the environmental nightmare
Before "Shade of Blue Ocean" began in 2017, with Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), PTTGC, and Ecoalf Foundation which brought it to the Thai mainstream ocean cleanup. With high hopes, this drive will spill over more areas in Thailand and spread the virtues of eco-consciousness and tourism as one.
Worsening environmental pollution is upon the seas and beaches with human access is the gate-way for trash to enter. Stopping trash at the tourist area is the first step, but education is a need for all parties that earn from tourism and Ocean clean up.
Related Article: "Shade of Blue Ocean" marks TAT's 3rd year of "Upcycling the Oceans, Thailand" clean-up effort
