This article looks at the 20 beautiful places in the world ruined by overtourism. If you wish to skip our analysis of over tourism and sustainable travel, please proceed to 5 Beautiful Places in the World Ruined by Overtourism.
UNWTO predicts that destinations around the world will host approximately 1.5 billion international tourists in 2024, the highest volume ever recorded. As wanderlust beckons travelers to traverse through narrow cobblestone streets, dive into underwater shipwrecks, and groove to raucous beats, it comes hand in hand with the threat of overtourism.
Overtourism
Overtourism is essentially the idea of a greater than optimal number of tourists visiting any area. If left unchecked, excessive tourists can have economic, social, and environmental repercussions that impact the longevity and sustainability of any destination. One of the major reasons for overtourism is the availability of cheap accommodation, courtesy of unrestricted house rentals. Companies such as Airbnb, Inc. (NASDAQ: ABNB) offer property owners the ability to rent out to tourists for pennies on the dollar, inadvertently causing destinations to become congested with heaps of tourists. Tourists can also utilize groups on Facebook, a subsidiary of Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ: META), to obtain informal accommodations.
Other social media sites such as TikTok, Twitter, and Instagram, the latter being operated by Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ: META), can both fuel and curb overtourism. Hawaii, one of the places where overtourism is most common, has been forced to take drastic actions, including the removal of a World War II landmark. In April 2024, the Honolulu City Government announced that the island’s famous Haiku Stairs, often referred to as the Stairway to Heaven, would be removed. The decision came as a consequence of illegal trespassing by tourists to visit the stairs, which has only worsened due to social media trends such as #HaikuStairs.
Sustainable Tourism
In response, countries negatively affected by overtourism have begun implementing protocols to limit rental accommodations such as Airbnb, Inc. (NASDAQ: ABNB) to regulate tourist inflows. Starting July 2024, Vienna has placed a citywide restriction on house rentals meaning that owners can only rent out units to tourists for 90 days per year. Similarly, in Berlin property owners using platforms such as Airbnb, Inc. (NASDAQ: ABNB) must now obtain permits to rent out their accommodations. These measures are part of a wider effort to make tourism sustainable.
In addition to governments, corporations around the world have shown increased commitment towards sustainable tourism. Since 2019, Booking Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ: BKNG) has been a part of a sustainable travel coalition led by Travalyst. In 2022, Expedia Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: EXPE) became a part of the same coalition, demonstrating its devotion to minimizing the negative implications of tourism. Moreover, there is a belief among organizations such as Booking Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ: BKNG) and Expedia Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: EXPE) that the next generation of travelers is looking for ways to vacation responsibly.
“Our research shows travelers are looking for ways to minimize their footprint while traveling and support local communities and cultures, and we see travelers turning to our platform for inspiration and guidance to inform their decisions.”
-Aditi Mohapatra, VP of Global Social Impact & Sustainability, Expedia Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: EXPE).
This belief is supported by other travel companies, as confirmed in a survey carried out by Flywire Corporation (NASDAQ: FLYW). The study, in which Flywire Corporation (NASDAQ: FLYW) surveyed 400 destination management companies in Europe, Africa, and Asia, showed that 84% of providers believe that sustainability is becoming more of a determining factor in how travelers plan their trips. 42% of providers say travelers are actively asking for sustainability options from them, according to Flywire Corporation (NASDAQ: FLYW).
Vacationers are becoming more conscious of how tourists are ruining destinations, with many looking to ensure that no more beautiful places in the world are ruined by overtourism. According to a study carried out by Booking Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ: BKNG) in 2023, 76% of travelers say they want to travel more sustainably. Our article on Spectacular Floating Hotels Around the World highlights that #SustainableTourism and #ConsiousConsumer have been some of the most viral travel trends on Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ: META) websites in recent times.
As governments, corporations, and vacationers converge in the effort to make tourism sustainable and prevent tourism damaging places of natural beauty, some destinations continue to suffer at the hands of overtourism. If left unchecked, these could be places you’ll no longer be able to visit in five years’ time. To remind ourselves of what we stand to lose, let’s take a look at beautiful places in the world ruined by overtourism.
20 Beautiful Places in the World Ruined by Overtourism
Methodology
To develop our list of beautiful places in the world ruined by overtourism, we began by combing through similar lists on the web. We compiled over 10 notable sources such as The Travel, CN Traveler, and Business Insider, to develop a preliminary list of beautiful places in the world ruined by overtourism. Using these lists, we developed a scorecard with 2 metrics. The first metric was the frequency of destinations in our sources. The second metric was a ranking factor based on the damage sustained by each place due to tourism. This was scored subjectively by examining news articles, tourist reviews, and reports from relevant authorities & the UN.
In the scope of this article, damage sustained due to tourism consists of pollution, vandalism, environmental degradation, inflationary impacts, and excessive erosion/ structural damage due to overcrowding. Our ranking factor was then scaled to a number between 0-1. By accumulating the frequency and ranking factors, we calculated our Insider Monkey scores. Once sorted in descending order, the first 20 destinations were selected as beautiful places in the world ruined by overtourism. Please note that the ranking presented in this article is subjective and based on our assessment criteria. We acknowledge that perceptions of beauty and the impacts of overtourism may vary.
By the way, Insider Monkey is an investing website that tracks the movements of corporate insiders and hedge funds. By using a similar consensus approach, we identify the best stock picks of more than 900 hedge funds investing in US stocks. The top 10 consensus stock picks of hedge funds outperformed the S&P 500 Index by more than 140 percentage points over the last 10 years (see the details here). Whether you are a beginner investor or a professional one looking for the best stocks to buy, you can benefit from the wisdom of hedge funds and corporate insiders.
Here are 20 Beautiful Places in the World Ruined by Overtourism.
20. Kyoto, Japan
Insider Monkey Score: 2.3
The cultural city of Kyoto is famous for its ancient streets, shrines, and temples. Owing to unbridled tourist visits, the city struggled to maintain order, with frequent trespassing on private properties and harassment of local geishas. In response, the government has imposed tourist taxes and penalties for violation of the city’s policies.
19. Hawaii, USA
Insider Monkey Score: 2.9
Due to an overwhelming number of tourists each year, housing and living costs on the islands have soared, preventing locals from being able to afford their homes. Excessive foot traffic on hiking trails and beaches is contributing to a loss of natural beauty and wildlife. There has been significant debate on whether the island should ban, or at least limit, short-term rental accommodations. However, no such permanent measure has been enforced so far.
18. The Great Pyramids, Egypt
Insider Monkey Score: 3.5
The only remaining ancient wonder of the world is struggling to cope with mass tourism. The sheer foot traffic of vacationers has caused immense soil erosion and structural damage to the Great Pyramids, making them one of the most beautiful places in the world ruined by overtourism. In addition, continuous attempts by visitors to scale the pyramids are only worsening the situation.
17. Bali, Indonesia
Insider Monkey Score: 3.6
The city of Bali is one of the many beautiful places destroyed by pollution, so much so that in 2017 authorities declared a “trash emergency” due to an abhorrent amount of plastic waste being dumped on its popular beaches. As of 2024, the Bali Provincial Government has imposed a tourist tax of 150,000 Rupiah to combat overtourism.
16. Cozumel, Mexico
Insider Monkey Score: 3.8
The island of Cozumel is one of the most popular beaches in the world, especially among cruise tourists. However, scuba diving and cruise ships have damaged much of the coral reefs that lie below its azure waters. Despite this, Cozumel hosted over 1.6 million tourists in the first quarter of 2024, although some of the diving sites have been closed in an effort to sustain its coral population.
15. Fjaðrárgljúfur Canyon, Iceland
Insider Monkey Score: 4.1
This majestic canyon was featured in HBO’s Game of Thrones and Justin Bieber’s music video I’ll Show You, after which there was a sharp rise in tourists visiting the area. Over fears of damage to its natural beauty, the canyon was fenced off in 2019, however, tourists continue to illegally enter the canyon, increasing the risk of it becoming a beautiful place in the world ruined by overtourism.
14. Stonehenge, UK
Insider Monkey Score: 4.4
The neolithic structure was severely compromised as tourists chipped fragments of the structure as souvenirs. For several decades, tourists have been banned from entering the stone circle, however, it is still one of the most overcrowded spots on the planet.
13. Great Wall, China
Insider Monkey Score: 4.6
According to National Geographic, approximately 30% of the Great Wall is crumbling into ruin. Natural erosion, foot traffic, and development projects are all factors that have made this destination a beautiful place ruined by overtourism. Since 2019, a cap of 65,000 daily visitors has been imposed.
12. Amsterdam, Netherlands
Insider Monkey Score: 5.6
Amsterdam is one of the cities in Europe that have imposed stringent policies on rental accommodations to combat overtourism. Currently, Airbnb rentals are limited to 30 nights a year per property, and property owners have to obtain a permit before renting out any accommodation, with any subsequent income being subject to taxation.
11. Angkor Wat, Cambodia
Insider Monkey Score: 5.7
Graffiti and foot traffic to the temple have made it one of the most beautiful places in the world ruined by overtourism. In addition, a shortage of water supply has caused the water table to drop significantly, which in turn puts the soil underneath the city at risk of sinking.
10. Boracay, Philippines
Insider Monkey Score: 5.8
Considered one of Asia’s most overrated travel destinations, Boracay Island has suffered immensely from both overcrowding and its subsequent pollution. In 2018, the island’s popular tourist spots were sealed for six months. Since then, there has been an effort to make tourism sustainable which has faced fierce opposition from those struggling to maintain their livelihood.
9. Mount Everest, Nepal
Insider Monkey Score: 6.5
The last place on earth you would expect to witness a traffic jam would be the slopes of Mount Everest, but that is where mass tourism has brought us. Even more appalling are the piles of garbage and litter left for local sherpas to collect. Between 2019 and 2023, 110 tons of waste were collected in a Mountain Cleanup Campaign, and this cleanup is expected to resume in 2024.
8. Dubrovnik, Croatia
Insider Monkey Score: 6.6
The Old Town area of the city featured as King’s Landing in HBO’s Game of Thrones, causing a huge influx of tourists into an already congested space. The increase in foot traffic and cruise visitors threatened to cause irreparable damage to the ancient structures, after which the city has placed a cap on the number of cruise ships and visitors allowed to enter the city.
7. Barcelona, Spain
Insider Monkey Score: 6.7
Hosting one of the largest ports in the Mediterranean, Barcelona hosts cruise ships all year round. Apart from inflated housing prices, mass tourism places a strain on the city’s public transport and waste management. Recently, the city has increased its tourist tax to €3.25 to ensure this beautiful place isn’t ruined by overtourism.
6. Rome, Italy
Insider Monkey Score: 7.6
Many of Rome’s most popular sites, such as the mighty Colosseum have suffered at the hands of mass tourism, with graffiti and burglary of stones being rampant. Similarly, the city’s famous Spanish Steps were embellished by wine stains and dried gum, so much so that the city banned tourists from even sitting on the steps in 2019.
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Disclosure: none. 20 Beautiful Places in the World Ruined by Overtourism is originally published on Insider Monkey.