MERSING, Nov. 17 -- Malaysia's island paradise of Mersing is reeling as a tourism boom strains coral reefs and squeezes local incomes.

Once a quiet gateway to Tioman Island, Mersing now draws crowds to its 97 islands, with over 360,000 tourists recorded by August 2025, Singapore news outlet The Straits Times reported yesterday.

Visitors flock for island hopping, snorkelling, and views of coral gardens that earned the district the nickname "Malaysia's Maldives".

But the surge in tourism has come at a cost, with coral cover declining from nearly 60 per cent to 50 per cent in Reef Check Malaysia's 2024 survey.

"Most of it can be attributed to the bleaching event in 2024, but some of it is a broader trend that reflects a range of issues i...