In the last year, tourism backlash has taken its toll, with several destinations around the globe announcing that they’ve had enough foreign visitors filling their streets or disrupting their fragile ecosystems. Naturally, this has posed a dilemma for travelers planning their next holiday.
From Venice and Barcelona to the Galapagos Islands and even the Taj Mahal, there are 12 places in the world that tourists may want to reconsider before visiting in 2018.
In 2017, the infrastructure of the Isle of Skye was heavily flooded, with thousands of tourists on buses and cars crossing its narrow lanes. Eventually, the residents started complaining about the noise, the overcrowding and even about various visitors urinating in public places. Police advised visitors to stay away from visiting, unless they had already booked accommodation.
If you have to go
It’s recommended to visit outside of the summer tourist season, when there are much less travelers here, and famous sites can be explored without having to get into crowds all the time.
Alternatively?
Explore small islands like Rum, Muck and Eigg, or even go south and enjoy your time on Jura Island.
The capital of Spain was host to 34 million tourists in 2016, a 25% increase from 2012. This has led to anger among local residents, and even to a number of graphic artists spraying anti-tourists graffiti throughout the city. Demonstrators even stormed the beach in Barceloneta in August 2017. The city government approved a law to limit tourists beds in an attempt to address the issue.
Alternatively?
You could travel to Valencia for a wonderful holiday, a city just as rich in foods and culture as Barcelona.
With UNESCO’s threat of withdrawing the city’s status in the World Heritage due to extreme overcrowding, Dubrovnik decided to take serious measures to reduce the number of tourists. The mayor also plans to reduce the number of cruise ships entering the old port. Almost 800,000 people came by cruise ships in 2016, mostly staying for only three hours.
If you have to go
Travel independently and choose using the services of local businesses.
Alternatively?
A good recommendation is staying in the nearby city of Cavtat, which features beautiful old buildings and quiet, picturesque beaches, making it ideal for a getaway from the usual heavily crowded tourist places.
The city’s population has fallen to 55,000, due to the huge number of tourists heading to the city throughout the year, with about 30 million people traveling there each year. In fact, there are now plans to prevent cruise ships from sailing on the Giudecca canal, and instead force them to take a longer route.
If you have to go
Explore the quiet waters and walk on foot, try dining in local restaurants and pubs instead of the main tourist attractions.
Alternatively?
In France, Annecy is home to a wide variety of stunning canals, a magnificent lake and beautiful architecture, all without the inevitable crowds one often finds in Venice.
There are only a few places in the world that have the stunning sunset views as Santorini does, but the small island of Greek Cyclades is getting closer and closer to a breaking point. Nearly two million people visited the island in 2017, and 850,000 people aboard cruise ships landing at the marina in Caldera, with passengers staying for a few hours only.
Alternatively?
Part of the same group of islands as Santorini, Naxos features mesmerizing hills and quiet beaches — and it’s much less crowded. Patmos in Dodecanese is also a wonderful alternative, with picturesque beaches and exquisite restaurants.
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