By April Lanux

With season three of The White Lotus drawing fresh waves of visitors to the already bustling shores of Phuket and Koh Samui, a very different story is unfolding across the Gulf of Thailand.

As season three of The White Lotus prepares to thrust Thailand's islands into the global spotlight, drawing fresh waves of visitors to the already bustling shores of Phuket and Koh Samui, a very different story is unfolding across the Gulf of Thailand. Here, a speck of an island named Koh Mak has quietly positioned itself as a model for sustainable tourism, offering a rare vision of what the future of travel in Thailand could be.

Heading towards Koh Mak's southern shores by speedboat, my first impression was disarmingly simple: golden sand curving into clear shallows while coconut palms leaned towards the sea as though caught mid-bow. There were no high-rises, no blaring beach clubs. Instead, low-slung bungalows peeked through the trees and bicycles outnumbered cars on the island's quiet roads.

I checked into the Makathanee Resort next to the jetty and studied a map to get my bearings. Just 16 sq km in size, Koh Mak is flat apart from a few gentle hills, perfect for exploring by bike. Eager to tap into the island's slow rhythm, I pedalled north-east through plantations of rubber trees and coconut palms to Laem Son beach. Here, I found little more than a shack made of coconut trunks and fronds and a few deck chairs facing a blissfully empty stretch of sand. I ordered a coconut shake and enjoyed a delicious half hour soaking up the silence before heading across to the settlement of Ao Suan Yai. Even here, there was little to detract from the island's natural beauty, just several tastefully designed, low-key resorts tucked away behind a white-sand beach and a line of palms all leaning at the same angle towards the sea.

As I completed my brief tour, I was amazed to realise that during my bike ride I had seen no international hotels or shopping malls, no McDonalds or KFCs and not a single 7-Eleven, which seem to be on every street corner throughout the rest of Thailand.

Promoted by the Tourist Authority of Thailand (TAT) as the country's first low-carbon destination, Koh Mak has become a testing ground for how small islands can thrive without sacrificing their soul to mass tourism. Unlike its larger, better-known neighbours ­– party-friendly Koh Chang to the north and exclusive Koh Kood to the south – Koh Mak is charting a slower, quieter course. Its approach, driven by the island's long-time landowning families, has earned international recognition for sustainable tourism. But it is the lived reality that truly sets it apart. This is not an island clinging to an imagined past; it's one that is actively shaping a different kind of future.

While many Thai islands fall under the jurisdiction of the Thai government, Koh Mak remains in the hands of five families, descendants of a civil servant named Luang Prompakdee who purchased the island's coconut plantations in the early 20th Century. Yodchai Sudhidhanakul, president of the Koh Mak Tourism Club and one of Prompakdee's descendants, told me that this tight-knit ownership structure has been key to protecting the island's tranquil character and encouraging slow tourism.

"It's not that we don't want tourists; in fact, many residents depend on tourism," Sudhidhanakul said. "But we hope to attract a particular type of visitor – those who are respectful of others and appreciate the benefits of a quiet life."

In 2018, residents formalised their vision in the Koh Mak Charter. The agreement bans vehicle ferries from docking at the island, restricts motorbike rentals to 70% of room capacity, prohibits loud music after 22:00 and noisy water sports like jet skis, and bans the use of foam or plastic containers.

"We never worried about overtourism," said Sudhidhankul, "as our available accommodation has remained at a steady 750 rooms, but we wanted to be part of the low-carbon initiative. Thus, most resort owners use renewable energy where possible and make efforts to recycle and dispose of waste responsibly."

This ethos extends beyond policy. Local initiatives like the Koh Mak Coral Conservation Group offer snorkelling trips where visitors can learn how to propagate corals using recycled PVC pipes. Waste disposal is a collective effort, with regular beach cleanups coordinated by Trash Hero, a voluntary group with the motto, "Every week we clean, we educate, we change". And at the island's coconut plantation, visitors can learn how to harvest coconuts and make cold-pressed coconut oil, while tie-dye workshops teach traditional fabric-dyeing techniques using natural pigments.

I spent the next few days earnestly practising slow-life activities: reading in a hammock, snoozing in a deck chair, swimming and taking long walks along the beach looking for shells. Unfortunately, most of what I found would only be of interest to the Trash Heroes – plastic bottles, old shoes and torn fishing nets. There were plenty of other activities to choose from, including diving and snorkelling trips, kayaking, paddle boarding, classes in massage and cooking, Thai boxing and yoga.

I took part in a game of disc golf (aka frisbee golf) and joined a tie-dyeing workshop, where I made a shirt that gave me a great sense of accomplishment. Workshop leader Rodjamarn Sirirut showed us a display of more than 20 natural dyes made from local plants such as indigo, malabar, mango, mangosteen and coconut shell; impressive evidence of the island's natural diversity. These pursuits made a change from lounging at swim-up pool bars or stuffing myself at buffets as I might have done if I had been staying at an international resort.

One day I joined a snorkelling trip to Koh Rang, an island to the west of Koh Mak that is part of the Koh Chang Marine National Park. On the boat I chatted with Rong Rong Zhu, a former research scientist in the US who now spends most of her time on Koh Mak. "When I travelled in Asia in 2018, I found Koh Mak to be a very walkable and bike-friendly island," she said. "I was able to rent a house with a beautiful view and now I have many digital nomad friends who spend half the year here."

Koh Mak is not immune to the challenges facing small islands. Plastic debris still washes up on its shores, swept in by ocean currents. And while the island's co-working hub, Koh Mak Campus, set up by Sudhidhanakul in 2020, encourages longer stays and digital nomads, balancing tourism and development remains a delicate task. "We want to attract seasonal inhabitants, and we need to develop more expertise in the use of renewable energy." Sudhidhanakul told me.

Yet, as I slipped into the island's rhythm – cycling from one beach to another, sipping coconut shakes under palm trees and chatting with residents who spoke of their home with both pride and protectiveness – it became clear that Koh Mak offers something increasingly rare in Thailand.

It is a reminder that a different kind of tourism is possible, one that doesn't require sacrificing a place's spirit for progress. As the speedboat carried me back towards the busy mainland, I found myself hoping that Koh Mak's quiet revolution might inspire others to follow its lead.

By Richard Thompson

As the new US president makes massive governmental cuts, issues tariffs and leads an immigration crackdown, domestic and international tourism faces unprecedented changes.

In the United States, a new presidential administration always comes with policy shifts. But the dizzying speed with which President Donald Trump has issued executive orders and made sweeping federal changes during the first month of his second term has much of the world wondering what the long-term impacts of these changes might be, and what else is yet to come.

By threatening and instituting tariffs on longtime allies, moving to overhaul the US immigration system, promising "mass deportations" and empowering unelected billionaire Elon Musk to fire thousands of federal employees and potentially shutter entire agencies established by Congress, Trump has come out swinging in his second act. And while these policy shifts are likely to have far-reaching social, political and economic implications, experts say they will also have a huge impact on the US travel industry.

"From immigration rules to trade wars, these changes will make travel to and within the US a lot more complicated and way less appealing. It's like putting up a giant 'Do not enter' sign just as the world is getting back into full travel mode," said Kristin Winkaffe, founder of travel firm Winkaffe Global Travel. "If you make it harder for people to get visas, fewer people will come – it's that simple."

This already appears to be playing out with the US's northerly neighbour. As Trump continues to threaten tariffs against Canada, even proposing annexing the entire nation, some Canadians have started boycotting US travel. The US Travel Association has warned that a 10% reduction in Canadian visits could result in more than $2bn in lost spending and 14,000 job losses.

Yet, the new administration remains confident that its policy shifts will benefit travellers. "President Trump has entrusted this team to work tirelessly to reaffirm American's [sic] complete confidence in the safety of our transportation systems," newly appointed US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said in a statement. "Our focus remains on ushering in a golden age of transportation while prioritizing the Department's core mission of safety and delivering innovative projects that move America."

While the full scale of Trump's policy changes are yet to be seen, experts and travel professionals are keeping a close eye on the specific ways they may reshape travel. We spoke to some of them to find out how these impacts might affect domestic and international travellers.

Air travel

Perhaps no mode of travel has been more scrutinised in recent weeks than the aviation industry. In the past month, four fatal plane crashes in the US have led confidence in air travel to drop from 71% of Americans believing air travel is safe in January 2025, to 64% in February, according to a recent AP survey.

Trump's recent policy changes aren't likely to improve this number. Air traffic control staffing was already under pressure nationwide and has been indicated as the cause of near-misses. Yet, even after investigations into the recent crash in Washington DC that killed 67 passengers found that air traffic control staffing was not at normal levels, Trump's administration began firing hundreds of Federal Aviation Administration employees last week. He has also fired the heads of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and the Coast Guard, and disbanded the Aviation Security Advisory Committee, leaving some wondering if aviation safety would continue to be a federal priority.

The State Department also suspended all processing of passports with the X identity marker, leaving many non-binary Americans potentially cut off from international travel. More than 15 countries – including Australia, Canada, Colombia and India – allow citizens to amend their gender to non-binary or third gender, so it is yet to be determined how these visitors will be treated upon entry.

In addition, more than 200 TSA employees have been laid off so far, and many expect screening times – especially among international visitors – to go up. Some LGBTQ+ travellers, in particular, are concerned about how recent policy changes will affect air travel.

"States like Texas, which is a hub for two of the three major US carriers, are looking at enforcing bathroom use in all public buildings (including airports) along the lines of the binary sex you were assigned at birth," said Lindsey Danis, creator of outdoor travel blog Queer Adventurers. "Trans people would have to choose between complying with a law that would force use of the bathroom that aligns with their former gender or breaking the law and possibly being targeted for being in the 'wrong bathroom'."

Road trips

With Trump threatening to tariff Canadian oil starting in March, experts expect gas prices to rise as much as $0.15 per gallon, potentially putting a damper on holiday road trips. Some believe that the president's focus on increasing domestic oil and gas production may temper the effects of tariffs on domestic gas prices, but that may take longer to see at the pump.

Even those with electric vehicles may have more trouble charging. Earlier this month, the Trump administration paused the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Program, a clean energy initiative that had allocated billions of dollars for states to create electric car charging stations since 2021.

Those hoping to drive to or through one of the US's spectacular national parks may also face extra challenges. President Trump recently fired 1,000 national park workers, leaving many to suspect that the staffing shortages will result in maintenance issues, shorter visitor centre hours and fewer amenities for travellers. Yosemite National Park, for instance, has already delayed its summer campground reservations.

Train travel

Similarly, federal funding for train travel seems to be an area that the Trump administration has eyed cutting. As part of recent spending freezes (some of which were temporarily rescinded recently), the US Department of Transportation is under scrutiny, in particular for its rail-related spending. Experts think this is likely to affect the $22bn in annual Amtrak funding, the development of high-speed rail corridors and intercity passenger rail service and grants for railroad safety programmes (which work to improve dangerous railroad crossings).

It's not that rail is universally under attack, but some suspect that Trump may be looking to further privatise the industry. "Right now, there's a bigger push for private companies to take the lead in rail investment, which could bring fresh ideas and innovation but also raises questions about accessibility," said public policy advisor Justin Goldsberry. "Will ticket prices rise? Will service improve, or become limited in certain areas?"

Hospitality

The leisure and hospitality industry is one of the US economy's biggest sectors, employing more than 10% of the American workforce. But policy uncertainty hasn't been good for business, especially from international business travellers.

"The US is one of the largest markets for business events (especially exhibitions), and leading US shows rely on a solid share of international and overseas attendees," said Kai Hattendorf, CEO at the global business events company HTF and former CEO of UFI The Global Association of the Exhibition Industry. "Policy uncertainty is disruptive for the sector, as event businesses crave predictability as they are planning years out, working with destinations and all actors from the travel and hospitality ecosystem."

He points to tech event CES in Las Vegas this past January when visitors from certain countries, including China, were down significantly. Hattendorf is noticing a growing number of events reportedly cancelled due to funding pulled from US government agencies and divisions as they enact new policies.

Other experts expect that as Trump's immigration crackdown looms, restaurants, hotels and – by extension – travellers are likely to feel the effects.

"The hospitality industry, one of the largest employers of immigrant workers, will take a direct hit if work visas like the H-2B become more restricted," said Neri Karra Sillaman, entrepreneurship expert at the University of Oxford and author of the forthcoming book Pioneers: 8 Principles of Business Longevity from Immigrant Entrepreneurs. "Post-pandemic labour shortages nearly brought the industry to its knees. If we see another round of restrictions, expect rising costs, declining service and economic losses in major travel hubs like New York, Miami and Los Angeles."

Visas

President Trump's executive order focusing on "foreign terrorists and other national security and public safety threats" also put visas for foreign nationals in jeopardy. The order directs the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of State to implement enhanced vetting for both visa applicants and those currently in the country in order "to ensure that those aliens approved for admission into the United States do not intend to harm Americans or [its] national interests".

This means delays for those applying for visas, and visa appointments are likely to be delayed or suspended. Legal experts suspect particular scrutiny of those from high-risk countries, and most suspect a similar travel ban as was enacted in 2017 to be enacted once more.

"For international travellers, heightened visa scrutiny and extended processing times could mean fewer visitors and billions in lost tourism revenue," said Sillaman. "If the US makes itself a harder place to visit or do business, the rest of the world isn't going to wait. Other countries – Canada, the UK, Australia – are already rolling out policies to attract the talent that America risks turning away."

This could be especially problematic because the US is entering what policymakers are describing as a "mega decade" of sporting events. In 2026 the US will co-host the FIFA World Cup in 11 American cities, followed by the Summer Olympics in Los Angeles in 2028, the Men's Rugby World Cup in 2031, the Women's Rugby World Cup in 2033 and the Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City in 2034. Yet, a recent report by the US Travel Association put it bluntly: "We're not ready to host the upcoming mega decade of events that will draw millions of domestic and international travellers."

As US Travel Association CEO and president Geoff Freeman writes, slow visa processing times are the "single biggest deterrent to visiting the US". According to the State Department, wait times for visitor visas from certain nations such as Colombia can run up to 700 days, making it impossible for many travellers to attend next summer's FIFA World Cup. According to an Oxford Economics study cited in the report, if unaddressed, these days could result in a loss of nearly $19bn in spending in the next two years.

"America is staring at a historic opportunity," Freeman stated. "The question is whether we will seize the moment or fall maddeningly short."