It turns out being super popular isn’t always a good thing. For tourism hotspots, being adored by travellers means having to negotiate immense pressure on local communities and environments. Finding a healthy balance between cultural and environmental preservation and a thriving economy is no easy feat.
Overtourism happens when too many travellers descend on a destination, exceeding its ability to accommodate such large numbers. Putting local infrastructure under strain, this often means reduced access to affordable food and clean water for residents, crowding on public transport and unmanageable traffic. Other serious impacts, such as environmental degradation, rising housing costs and the commodifying of cultures, can have long-lasting consequences.
For travellers, the answer isn’t to completely avoid places at risk of overtourism, but to think more wisely before booking an itinerary – after all, tourism remains a vital income stream for emerging destinations. While rigorous government-led regulation and forward-planning is needed to protect communities and nature, we can continue to support emerging places while making an effort to lower our footprint.
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The 6 destinations on the brink of overtourism
1. Albania
Perfectly positioned along the Ionian and Adriatic coastlines, Albania has gone from welcoming three million visitors in 2015 to 10 million in 2023. Now, experts predict an estimated 30 million people could be travelling there by 2030 – making it Europe’s fastest growing holiday destination.
So, what can be done? According to Elton Caushi, Tirana resident and founder of local tour operator Albanian Trip, simply visiting the famous sites but staying in rural towns such as Zogaj (near Shkora), Delvina (near Saranda), Lushnja (by Durres) and Kukes (near Valbona), helps to lighten the load on hotspot infrastructure, bringing much-needed income to those who wouldn’t usually benefit from tourism. ‘Book locally-owned guesthouses… and go in the off-season if you can,’ adds Caushi. ‘It will still be gorgeous, more economical and will help make local businesses [sustainable] year-round.’
2. Raja Ampat, Indonesia
For decades, the palm tree-laden islands in Raja Ampat and the surrounding marine-protected area have been a haven for hardcore scuba divers, with just a handful of dive resorts dotted among the local fishing villages. But thanks to a recent marketing campaign, an increasing number of people are discovering Raja Ampat as a beach holiday destination, with land tourism – and associated environmental degradation – increasing at rapid speed.
The truth is, it’s impossible to see Raja Ampat without contributing to the strain. However, visiting the region on a lower-impact vessel, such as New Scientist’s Ombak Putih sailing ship, beats staying on the islands and adding to the load. The 13-day, education-driven Alfred Wallace Expedition, for example, follows in the footsteps of the famous naturalist, without lingering for long in any one place.
3. Santiago de Compostela, Spain
It was Martin Sheen’s 2010 box office hit, The Way, that put the international focus on Spain’s Camino de Santiago trail. During the Covid-19 pandemic, its profile rose yet again – this time, as people Instagrammed themselves walking sections of the ancient pilgrim route. Fast forward four years and Santiago de Compostela – the city at the end of the trail – is feeling the hit from an influx of visitors, with a growing number of investment ‘buy-to-rent’ properties and short-term holiday lets pricing residents out of the city.
While not as famous as Santiago, there are other heritage-strong cities to explore within Galicia, says local resident and Expedition Leader, Isabel Rodriguez. ‘A Coruña, for example, offers a calmer experience, steeped in medieval architecture, great food and over 15 museums.’ Home to the Tower of Hercules, the oldest Roman lighthouse in the world, A Coruña has the added bonus of sandy beaches – and is well worth the hour drive to escape the crowds.
4. Belém, Brazil
Located on the outskirts of the Amazon Rainforest, in the Pará region of northern Brazil, Belém is a gateway to the biodiversity surrounding the Amazon Delta. Now, under the international spotlight of the COP30 Climate Conference, visitor numbers are rising, with significant investment going into improving tourism infrastructure, including the building of brand new apartments. Yet, 604,000 people out of Bélem’s 2.2-million population live in favelas. Some residents have even been evicted from their homes, with landlords looking to profit from short-term rentals.
When it comes to visiting the Amazon, the key is to think outside the box – choose lesser-known routes and stay in community-owned accommodation. Uakari Floating Lodge near Tefé, Amazonas, is a community project with great knowledge of the region’s wildlife (including rare pink river dolphins). Kapawi Ecolodge in the Ecuadorian Amazon is an ecotourism enterprise owned and run by Indigenous Achuar people, while Casa Matsigenka in the Peruvian Amazon has been preserving Tayacome and Yomibato land and culture since the 1990s.
5. Kotor, Montenegro
Kotor has felt the full brunt of overtourism in recent years – in part, thanks to an estimated 500 large cruise ships, some with 5,000 people on board – docking here each year. As a result, traffic congestion, rising housing costs and environmental degradation are forcing some of the city’s 22,000 residents out of their UNESCO World Heritage Site homes.
A small-ship sailing trip, with a responsible tour operator like Intrepid Travel, gives travellers the chance to visit Kotor while gaining genuine cultural insights into less-visited Montenegrin villages. ‘We visit Tivat, where travellers can have a homegrown dinner with a family, and the small village of Rose [which showcases] the laidback, local life,’ explains Ance Svajnzger, Intrepid’s Eastern Europe General Manager. Travelling overland outside of the summer peak season also lightens the pressure.
6. Southern beaches, Sri Lanka
After a tricky few years navigating a dramatic fall in tourism, Sri Lanka is having a resurgence, with 2.1 million visitors landing on the tiny Indian Ocean island in 2024. It’s the country’s southern beaches (easily accessible) and national parks (they have elephants) at the frontlines of overtourism. Now, a new government faces a tough decision – keep accommodating demand or fight for cultural and environmental preservation.
Swapping the tourist traps of the south for the lesser-known north (Jaffna, Mannar) and east (Batticaloa, Trincomalee) puts you face-to-face with true Lankan culture without the westernised lens. Opting for ‘smaller, off-the-beaten track’ accommodation spreads the load, says Jean-Marc Flambert, former Director of Sri Lanka Tourism UK and founder of boutique stays collection, Secrets of Ceylon. ‘Not only does this help people to work from their village rather than them having to move to tourism hotspots for employment, it also lessens the burden on natural resources.’
Karen Edwards is a freelance editor and writer who specialises in responsible tourism. She has written several articles about responsible tourism for Time Out, including 5 countries that really need tourism in 2025, 13 ways to be a better tourist, The world’s best ethical wildlife encounters and The world’s best sustainable travel destinations.
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