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Within the travel industry, overtourism has been one of the hottest topics of the year. Plenty of destinations are trying to curb the impact of having so many visitors, whether by banning short-term holiday lets or introducing new tourist taxes.
Despite these efforts, in many popular places the problem only seems to be getting worse. That’s why travel publication Fodor’s publishes an annual list of ‘no-go’ destinations for the year ahead, in what it describes as an effort to highlight ‘destinations where tourism is placing unsustainable pressures on the land and local communities’.
Destinations are organised into two categories. The first is ‘perennial no list destinations’; places that have been suffering from the impact of overtourism for a while, but little progress has been made to mitigate the issues.
The first of these is Bali. According to the Central Bureau of Statistics for Bali Province, the Indonesian island welcomed 5.3 million international visitors in 2023, a number that rose by 22 percent by the end of July 2024.
The issue is that the island’s economy thrives on hospitality, but that relies on the health of its landscapes, which are being degraded. Formerly pristine beaches such as Kuat and Seminyak are litter-covered, and local waste management systems can’t keep up.
The second category is ‘destinations which are beginning to suffer’. On this list is the Mexican city of Oaxaca. Since 2020, tourism has soared by 77 percent and English is gradually replacing Spanish as the most-spoken language. Long-time residents have also been priced out of central areas due to stark increases in the price of rent, and public services in the city such as water supply and transport are feeling the pressure.
What’s more, many Oaxacans feel that important elements of their culture, such as mezcal consumption and the Guelaguetza festival, are becoming commercialised.
Fodor’s Travel’s perennial no list destinations
- Bali, Indonesia
- European destinations including Barcelona, Majorca, the Canary Islands, Venice and Lisbon
- Koh Samui, Thailand
- Mount Everest
Destinations beginning to suffer, according to Fodor’s Travel
- Agrigento, Sicily, Italy
- British Virgin Islands
- Kerala, India
- Kyoto and Tokyo, Japan
- Oaxaca, Mexico
- Scotland North Coast 500
You can read the full list here.
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