Over-Tourism: 11 Places That Are Suffering from Their Popularity
123RF
Over-tourism is a paradoxical problem where countries that financially thrive on international tourism are also burdened with the consequences of hosting too many tourists. Over-tourism causes local garbage problems, cost of living surges for locals, ecological destruction, damage or destruction of artifacts, population inflation in concentrated areas, and more.
There is nothing wrong with being a tourist. Over-tourism is a socio-economic and ethical issue where millions of tourists irresponsibly descend on foreign locales, ruin what makes them special, and worse, not realizing or caring. Here are 11 places suffering from their popularity and some tips on how to travel responsibly as a tourist.
1. Hanoi’s “Train Street” Selfie Trap
123RF
Hanoi, Vietnam’s Hoan Kiem District infamous Train Street has become wildly famous with selfie takers in recent years. It’s a train district where rustic cafes, shops, and local people selling their wares sit dangerously close to both sides of a busy train track. Locals have to move themselves and their products out of the way multiple times daily to avoid collision with the train.
International tourists are now swarming Train Street, standing perilously on the sides of the tracks, and sometimes in it, to take selfies. Tourists taking selfies on Train Street are causing train delays, and stoppages, and endangering themselves. In 2019, local officials began closing some Train Street businesses and limiting tourist group visits for safety reasons.
2. Kyoto’s Geisha Harassment Issues
123RF
A geisha is a female Japanese entertainer trained in the ancient, traditional, and folklore arts of Japan. Geishas in full traditional dress and makeup commonly walk around the streets of Kyoto. Unfortunately, rowdy tourists have been harassing and touching geishas as well as grabbing their clothing. Tourists also stalk and take pictures of them without permission, which is rude in Japan, a country with rigid social rules and norms.
Local officials started charging tourists $63 or more for harassing geishas, but it didn’t stop. As of March 2024, local officials were set to ban tourists from some streets in Kyoto to mitigate the problem. Over-tourism completely destroyed the Geisha tourism business model. The city must now ban or restrict tourists to save its heritage while losing money.
3. Spanish Steps Garbage Problem
123RF
The Spanish Steps is a famous public staircase and plaza in Rome, Italy. The site became world famous in a scene in 1953’s “Roman Holiday,” starring Audrey Hepburn. Tourists have been flocking to the spot since to take selfies and hang out on the steps. Over-tourism destroyed the aesthetics of the Spanish Steps with tourists congregating, partying on the steps, and leaving behind garbage. In 2016, the local government spent $1.6 million to clean up the Spanish Steps. It is now illegal to sit on the Spanish Steps. Violators can face a $500 fine.
4. Justin Beiber Fans Destroy a Canyon in Iceland
123RF
Fjaðrárgljúfur Canyon in Iceland is famous for its verdant beauty and the islet at the bottom of the canyon. The canyon was also featured as a backdrop on Game of Thrones. Justin Bieber filmed his 2015 music video “I’ll Show You,” at the site. According to a 2019 study by the Environment Agency of Iceland, over 1 million tourists have trampled and catastrophically damaged the ecology and aesthetics of the canyon since 2015. Tourists are now banned from visiting the site, but many sneak in anyway.
5. Komodo Island Tourist Ban
123RF
Komodo Island is a komodo dragon habitat in Indonesia that is very popular with tourists. Almost 2000 Komodo dragons live in the habitat. Local officials are now spending millions of dollars to stop the illegal smuggling of Komodo dragons and to stop over-tourism from destroying the natural habitat activities of the giant lizards. Indonesian authorities considered a complete ban but are now charging tourists $1,000 for an annual membership to visit the island.
You can visit Komodo Island on a restricted basis and for shorter time periods with cheaper membership levels. Indonesian locals and business owners vocally protested the change in rules in 2022. They fear the local economic repercussions of overcharging tourists who might choose to stay away, even as over-tourism causes ecological chaos.
6. Venice, Italy Restricts Rowdy Tourists
123RF
Venice, Italy is a romantic city and an over-tourism magnet, but it is a city in ecological danger. Due to climate change, the city is sinking and experiences floods often. Venice might sink by over a foot by 2100. In the meantime, Venetians have complained that tourist crowds make traveling in the city difficult. The city has implemented rules banning littering, lewd dress, public boorishness, and vandalizing structures and artifacts. Venice now restricts tourist groups to two dozen who can only explore the city by day.
7. Tiny Austrian Towns Get 10K Visitors Daily
123RF
Over 6% of Austria’s economy is derived from tourism. One Austrian town in particular, Hallstatt, is suffering from a dramatic over-tourism problem. Hallstatt has less than 800 residents but sometimes 10,000 international visitors try to visit daily. Fans of the 2010 film Frozen mistakenly believe that Hallstatt was used as a model for the film and flock there. The small town has been featured in South Korean and Chinese TV shows, so the majority of the town’s visitors come from Asia. Hallstatt’s townspeople staged public demonstrations in 2023 to protest the over-tourism problem preventing residents from living normal lives. Tourists are crowding local streets, entering private residences, and taking selfies everywhere without considering how it disrupts local life.
8. Santorini, Greece Tourist Surge
123RF
Santorini, Greece is an idyllic Greek island renowned for its natural beauty. The city has a population of 15,000 but over 2 million tourists visit the city annually. Locals complain that over-tourism is straining the local infrastructure, raising local cost of living standards, and making it difficult for everyday people to live their lives. The city is seeking to restrict the number of cruise ships and tourists who can visit daily.
9. Cozumel, Mexico Coral Reef Destruction
123RF
Cozumel, Mexico is a tourist-favorite coastal town in Mexico. It’s the second-most-visited cruise destination on the planet. Cozumel is also home to natural coral reefs that are now threatened by over-tourism. Cruise ship traffic, scuba diving, and tourist-derived pollution are slowly destroying the local coral reefs. Steps are now being taken to restrict tourism without dramatically affecting tourism.
10. Maya, Bay, Thailand Tourist Intrusion
123RF
Maya, Bay, Thailand is an island paradise with scenic bays and huge rocks jutting out above them. The 2000 film The Beach starring Leonardo Dicaprio was filmed there. Now, up to 8,000 tourists visit Maya Bay daily. The bay is now clogged with tourist group boats that destroy the natural aesthetic beauty of the bay.
The coral reefs are being damaged, Local authorities fear that tourists will disturb the local aquatic wildlife, like sharks, by recklessly wading and swimming in the bay. Authorities now restrict the number of tourists in the bay and have banned swimming in it.
11. Spain Wages War Against Over-Tourism
123RF
Spanish cities like Barcelona and Binibeca are waging protests against over-tourism. Small towns with hundreds of residents are being inundated with entitled tourists who enter private residences, litter, crowd public walkways and streets, and engage in spontaneous public celebrations. Local residents have started public protesting and even used graffiti to write anti-tourist messages. Local authorities are planning to restrict the number of tourists who can visit daily and are entertaining the idea of banning tourism outright.
What You Can Do to Ease Over-Tourism
123RF
The world is getting smaller every day and people are traveling more in this post-pandemic world. Tourism will never be eradicated, but over-tourism could make it difficult to visit some of your favorite places soon.
Travel during off-peak seasons and follow local laws when you go on vacation. Also, consider how much you will enjoy yourself if you travel to a foreign country just to hang out with thousands of tourists more interested in taking selfies than enjoying the experience. You may want to research under-visited cities and go there instead or consult the help of a good travel agent.
Read More
17 Outrageous Luxury Services Only Billionaires Can Afford
10 Traditional Jobs Facing Imminent Obsoletion
Allen Francis is a full-time writer, prolific comic book investor and author of The Casual’s Guide: Why You Should Get Into Comic Book Investing. Allen holds a BA degree from Marymount Manhattan College. Before becoming a writer Allen was an academic advisor, librarian, and college adjunct for many years. Allen is an advocate of best personal financial practices including saving and investing in your own small business.
