Thailand’s main economy consists of tourism, which creates about 12% of its overall GDP. However, this economy is much more developed in Khao Lak, Ko Phi Phi, and Phuket, which are the areas that were hit hardest by the tsunami. Tourism has created jobs in these areas, and has been a major part of the economy since 1982. In recent years, however, Thailand has struggled to keep tourism thriving along these pristine beaches, and has ended up hurting the environment because of the lack of coordinated economic efforts. In tourism areas, 70% of hotels remained open after the tsunami, and the owners of the hotels continued to encourage tourists to come back. These hotels were only 10% filled, since tourists felt uneasy carrying on normal beach activities knowing that so many people had died there.