Costa Mar weighs tighter tourism visa rules amid infrastructure strain

The proposal, introduced to the Regional Assembly by Governor Solomon Adeyemi this week, would cap daily tourist arrivals at 1,200 visitors during peak season—down from the current uncontrolled flow, which averaged 1,680 daily arrivals in May and June. The move marks a departure from Costa Mar's tourism-growth strategy of the past decade, and has divided the hospitality sector between operators who see limits as necessary and those who view them as economically reckless.

The Governor's office framed the measure as a conservation imperative. "We have a finite reef, finite beaches, finite freshwater," Adeyemi said in a statement to the Assembly. "The question is not whether to manage tourism, but how to manage it sustainably." The proposal would require visitors to obtain a tourism visa capped at thirty days, with daily allocations distributed among hotels and dive cooperatives based on their existing capacity ratings.

Opposition has been swift. The Costa Mar Hotel Association argues that visa caps will redirect tourism revenue to competing regions and will undermine the economic foundation that funds local conservation efforts. Several dive cooperative leaders, however, have privately signalled support for the measure, citing pressure on reef-access quotas and concerns about diver safety in overcrowded conditions.