AN ISOLATED island in the Pacific looks like paradise – but has a strict tourist cap keeping its forests unspoiled and beaches pristine.
Tight rules at Lord Howe Island ensure a one-to-one ratio of holidaymakers to locals.
Dramatic mountains form the backdrop to blue waters and white sand in the destination 320 nautical miles off the east coast of Australia, providing a perfect scene for travellers.
But with a population of only about 400 people, it means a tourism cap of the same number.
The limit has been in place for more than 40 years in a bid to protect Lord Howe’s unique species with the island a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
More than 85 per cent of the island remains covered in forest as development remains prohibited.
It means the island is kept clear from the mass tourism that infuriates locals in other parts of the world like the Greek islands and Majorca.
But for holidaymakers, it consequently means paying a pretty penny to get there.
Return flights from Sydney can set travellers back more than £500, while accommodation costs range from £150 to over £2000 per night during summer.
Lord Howe local Lisa Makiiti told CNN Travel the strict rules allowed the island to maintain its character.
She said: “It’s what is not here that provides that experience – that is why it’s so unique.
“(There’s) value of having somewhere in the world that works in the reverse to every other tourist destination.
“It’s not bigger and better and more and more.”
The island spans just seven miles in length but is home to a number of unique species, including the providence petrel seabird and flightless woodhen.
On his website, local Ian Hutton describes life on the island as “like living inside a David Attenborough documentary”.
Beaches offer clear waters and snorkelling opportunities that trump the Great Barrier Reef, according to locals.
Lowe Island Island Brewing Company boss Anthony Riddle told CNN Travel: “You’re only on a boat for five or 10 minutes, and you’re already out to the main reefline.
“If you try and do that on the Great Barrier Reef, you might be on a boat for three or four hours and still not see nearly as much as you get to see here.”
