We’ve been reporting on overtourism across Europe and the world over the last couple of years. Plenty of destinations are attempting to deter visitors and cap numbers, whether by introducing tourist taxes and entry fees or by banning holiday lets to ease the pressure on the housing market.
Despite the economic benefits of tourism, the sheer volume of visitors in some of our finest cities, coastal destinations and national parks can seriously impact the day-to-day lives of locals. Places like Barcelona, Amsterdam and Bali spring to mind, but what do the people of Reddit think?
ExcitingNeck8226 asked users ‘which place in your country would you say is going through ‘overtourism’?’ – and people had a lot to say.
Cropping up several times in the US were the country’s national parks, including Arches, Zion, Acadia and – particularly – Yosemite. One user said: ‘When I left Yosemite NP, there were probably about 2 miles of cars trying to get in. I really don't know the solution to this.’
Another said: ‘Our national parks are bursting at the seams. Even in Feb you have to have reservations for Yosemite on the weekends.’
Over the border in Canada, other areas known for their gorgeous scenery were also highlighted as places buckling under overtourism, with the Rockies, Jasper and Banff getting several mentions.
‘At every scenic attraction now, you’re lucky if you can squeeze your camera at an awkward angle to avoid 45 elbows being in your shot and 25 people taking selfies. That is, if you can get parking in the first place,’ said Acminvan.
In the UK, the Scottish capital of Edinburgh was mentioned – one user described the city centre as a ‘tartan theme park’ where there’s a ‘total lack of balance now’. The Lake District was also mentioned, with one person saying ‘It’s jaw-droppingly beautiful and most of the scenery is packed into a smallish space, so I understand why it’s popular with tourists and often crowded. But it ruins the vibe when you have visitors everywhere clogging the streets and roads, driving up prices, overwhelming accommodation, and overflowing bins.’
In Europe, people highlighted cities like Prague, Barcelona, Lisbon and Halstatt, the small Austrian town where locals protested against the number of visitors in 2023.
Phuket and Koi Samui in Thailand, Tokyo in Japan, Bali in Indonesia and Goa in India all got mentions, too, but you can have a look at the full discussion, and see if you disagree with any of the locations, on the Reddit page here.
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