Overtourism Destroyed 13 Of The World's Most Beautiful Places
By Tanvi Akhauri
VACATIONS
Bali, Indonesia
The mythologizing of Bali's party culture has caused the region to commercialize at a pace faster than it can handle, and many visitors are very disorderly.
Bali officials have since made an effort to curb this trend. "For us, quality [in tourists] is more important than numbers," tourism minister Luhut Pandjaitan said in 2024.
Santorini, Greece
Santorini’s surreal blue-hued landscapes are projected to see 3.4 million tourists in 2024. While this brings in billions, locals wish for limits on tourists.
Santorini's mayor Nikos Zorzos worries about overtourism, stating, "If you destroy the landscape [...] you destroy the very reason people come here in the first place."
Kyoto, Japan
When Kyoto began to see many tourists, daily commutes became more difficult for locals, and price points for amenities have seen an upward hike in tourist hotspots.
To control the tourists, officials give out particular transportation passes and barricade certain streets in Gion. HIgher tourism taxes are also being discussed.
Boracay, Philippines
Boracay's natural landscape rapidly deteriorated under overtourism, and in 2018, President Rodrigo Duterte shut down the island for six months for cleanup.
The rehabilitation of Boracay was praised by some on the Philippine island, and the daily tourist cap has been set at around 6,000 since its reopening in 2018.
Cinque Terre, Italy
Cinque Terre is so swamped with visitors that it is now largely a tourist trap. The charm of the area’s cliff-hanging villages is threatened by tourists.
Control measures have included limiting the number of ferries allowed on the coast, fines for wearing inappropriate footwear on cliff trails, and an access fee on the Path of Love.