19 Beautiful Destinations That Got Completely Ruined by Tourists
There are incredibly beautiful places in the world. Some of these places can get really popular over time, while others stay relatively unknown.
There are destinations that attract more visitors than they can even handle. You know the feeling when you’re walking somewhere, and it’s way too crowded? Or you don’t enjoy visiting a place because it’s not well maintained? These are destinations that suffer from over-tourism.
While tourists help boost the economy, their presence can also harm the environment and culture of the place. If you like to travel but don’t want to ruin the place you visit, take note of the following destinations and be a responsible tourist.
1. Maya Bay, Thailand
After the shooting of the movie The Beach, Maya Bay faces serious coral reef damage. This is due to many tourists who visit the place because of how incredible it looks in the movie.
This beautiful place closed its operation from 2020 to 2022 to recover from the damages caused by over-tourism. This closure helped to prevent further damage and restore its natural beauty. Since then, Maya Bay has closed for 2 months every year to continue to restore the marine life in the area.
2. Venice, Italy
Venice is one of the most visited cities in Italy. The influx of visitors makes this place crowded and congested. They even charge entrance fees to regulate the number of visitors who come to Venice.
Large cruise ships also bring environmental problems. Restriction of these kinds of ships contributes to conservation and the architectural heritage of the place.
3. Machu Picchu, Peru
There are signs of erosion in Machu Picchu mainly caused by excessive traffic from visitors. Limits on daily visitors and a permit system aim to protect the site.
Tourists should also move around in groups with a guide and only move in specific directions. However, these rules aren’t enforced yet, and no one will ask you if you have a tour guide when you enter. These regulations help to keep this historical city from further damage and may possibly be enforced in the future.
4. Santorini, Greece
Santorini faces infrastructure pressure and environmental problems. The island’s narrow streets and limited resources are often overwhelmed by tourists visiting the area.
Authorities are considering tourist caps, with a daily 8,000-visitor cap from cruise ships already enforced since 2018. Sustainable tourism initiatives like eco-friendly accommodations and waste management programs are also important to maintain Santorini’s charm.
5. Barcelona, Spain
Housing costs in Barcelona are high. The influx of visitors has made it difficult for locals to afford to live in their own neighborhoods. This has resulted in some protests for better visitor management.
Tourists contribute to the problem as they stay in illegal rentals, which disrupts local housing markets and communities. To address these issues, authorities crack down on such rentals to balance tourism with the needs of residents. It aims to end short-term rentals by 2029 to help the housing issues in the city.
6. Cinque Terre, Italy
Cinque Terre faces environmental degradation from overcrowded trails. The surge in visitors limits its access from the crowd. Many report walking in one big line from one village to the next, where the charm of the destination gets lost in the crowd.
The over-tourism is especially a problem since visitors are concentrated in a 0.6-mile area, which is just 3% of the national park. To help protect the area, sustainable tourism practices are necessary to preserve Cinque Terre’s heritage and environment.
7. Iceland
Iceland, with a population of about 383,000, expects around 2.3 million tourists in 2024, nearly 2.5 million in 2025, and over 2.5 million in 2026.
To reduce the negative effect of the growing number of tourists, Iceland’s government re-introduced the so-called tourism tax to finance sustainability projects. This includes additional charges for hotel rooms, campsites, mobile homes, and cruise ships.
8. Mount Everest, Nepal
Mount Everest, known as the world’s highest mountain at 29,032 feet, is also considered the highest garbage dump. Aside from trash, human waste has become one of the biggest concerns on Mount Everest. This year, climbers are required to use human waste bags provided by the government of Nepal and bring them down with them.
In 2019, the Nepali government launched a campaign to clear 22,000 pounds of trash from the mountain and implemented a $4,000 deposit initiative, refunded if climbers returned with 18 pounds of garbage.
9. Boracay, Philippines
Due to severe pollution brought about by overtourism, the government closed Boracay in 2018. After rehabilitation, Boracay allows only 6,405 visitors per day.
Authorities prohibit tourists from smoking and consuming alcohol near the beach. Public utilities are also banned, so expect to see a new Boracay with no chairs, toilets, or umbrellas near the sea.
10. Kyoto, Japan
The city of Kyoto is often overcrowded with tourists, which has led to concerns about cramped buses and exhausted local resources. To address this, the city has launched express buses from Kyoto station to popular destinations like Kiyomizu Temple and Gion.
These buses make fewer stops and charge higher fares than the local buses. This allows the tourists to enjoy and experience the place without congesting the area.
11. The Great Wall of China, China
The Great Wall suffers from erosion and graffiti from heavy traffic, which poses problems to its conservation. Restoration projects and visitor regulations, such as limiting tourists to 65,000, help protect the wall.
Recently, the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Culture and Tourism revealed plans to improve the tourist experience along the 276-mile Great Wall National Scenic Route. These aim to strengthen public service facilities and develop more high-quality tourist routes. This includes six special Great Wall relics tours, projects to preserve traditional customs and practices, and the construction of high-quality homestays to integrate conservation with rural development.
12. Galapagos Islands, Ecuador
The unique wildlife of the Galapagos Islands is under threat due to the increasing number of visitors. These islands’ delicate ecosystems are vulnerable to disturbances caused by human activities.
Starting August 1, 2024, tourists will pay double the entrance fees. This will be the first price increase since 1998. This will aid the cost of the islands’ conservation efforts to maintain their natural beauty and heritage.
13. Angkor Wat, Cambodia
Angkor Wat’s ancient structures are starting to deteriorate due to heavy visitor traffic, which contributes to the wear and tear of this historic site. This leads to concerns about its long-term preservation.
To address such problems, some places were isolated to manage foot traffic and to prevent too many tourists from accessing specific areas. This aims to balance tourism to protect and maintain this UNESCO World Heritage site.
14. Amsterdam, Netherlands
Amsterdam faces challenges like commercialization and overcrowding in its historic neighborhoods due to tourism. To manage the influx of tourists, the city implements measures such as rental regulations and the promotion of lesser-known attractions.
New hotels in the city center are prohibited in Amsterdam, and only 20 million tourists are allowed to stay overnight every year. The city also directs tourists to visit other parts of the country to reduce congestion in core areas of Amsterdam.
15. Taj Mahal, India
The Taj Mahal’s marble suffers discoloration due to pollution and traffic brought about by tourism. Preservation initiatives like cleaning efforts and visitor regulations are in place. Environmental actions, such as reducing emissions from nearby industries and vehicles, play an important role in preserving the site’s beauty.
Also, new practices like chemical-free cooling tower treatment and heat pumps for hot water generation help minimize water usage, chemicals, and carbon dioxide emissions.
16. Bali, Indonesia
Bali’s amazing culture and nature are at risk because of the number of tourists. Waste management is a key concern for protecting the beaches.
To counter this, the government implemented a no-use policy on certain single-use plastics and promoted recycling. Local communities and organizations also engage in beach clean-up activities to keep the beaches free from litter.
17. Dubrovnik, Croatia
Due to the popularity of Game of Thrones, visitors cram and overcrowd the streets of Dubrovnik. To conserve its archeological sites and cultures, government authorities control the entry of cruise ships into the port.
In response to public noise complaints, the City of Dubrovnik installed noise-measuring devices throughout the Old City center and complied with all noise regulations. These regulations include fines and possible eviction from specific areas for catering companies that violate noise rules.
18. Stonehenge, England
Stonehenge faces the problem of erosion due to high traffic by tourists. To support the conservation of the area, actions are being taken to restrict entry. A visitor center was constructed to distance tourists from getting close to the stones and is placed far from the monument.
Today, inside the center, tourists learn interesting history, myths, and facts about Stonehenge and watch them come to life with some relics and videos. It has an audiovisual tour feature, which lets you tour inside the stones and Neolithic Houses that depict how people lived many years ago.
19. Antarctica
The growing numbers of tourists in Antarctica pose a danger to its environment. These threats include pollution, wildlife disturbance, and the introduction of non-native species. To prevent such risks, the following protections and regulations are in place.
A key conservation approach involves limiting and regulating visitor traffic and interactions with the environment. For instance, visitors must be accompanied by a licensed guide or have to adhere to the guidelines set by the International Association of Antarctica Tour Operations (IAATO).
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