Thailand plans to limit the number of visitors to natural attractions such as the Mekong and Chao Phraya rivers.

News reports said the Tourism and Sports Ministry and the National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA) have signed a memorandum of understanding to evaluate the environmental impact of tourism in three types of destinations: mountains, seas, and cultural/historical sites, and set the maximum number of tourists at each site. The four-year agreement is expected to promote sustainability in tourism and contribute to achieving the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.

NSTDA will use the global standard framework of the World Tourism Organization called Tourism Satellite Account-System of Environmental Economic Accounting.  

The government has selected eight destinations as pilot projects, including the Andaman Sea, the Gulf of Thailand, the Mekong and Chao Phraya rivers, and the Lanna region.

Thailand is a top tourist destination in Southeast Asia. The Tourism Authority estimates the number of visitors in the first six months of the year to increase by 2% to 19.9 million from a year ago, contributing 1 trillion baht (about $32 billion) in tourism receipts.

Read the full story from the Bangkok Post.