These were the destinations that suffered the most from overtourism in 2023

02-01-24

After several years of pandemic-driven recession, the travel industry is not only back, but booming. According to the World Travel and Tourism Council, the industry is expected to earn $9.5 trillion by 2023, 95% more than before the pandemic.

Nowhere is this boom more evident than in the world's most popular tourist hotspots, many of which have seen record numbers of visitors in the past year.

These increases may be beneficial to local economies and hospitality businesses, but they also come with notable downsides: increased noise, pollution, traffic and pressure on public resources; a lower quality of life for locals; and a diminished visitor experience, to name just a few.

Not surprisingly, many tourist magnets around the world, including several European centers, have created initiatives and restrictions aimed at combating the problems of over-tourism. These include: new or increased tourist taxes, campaigns to deter problem visitors and limits on attendance at popular attractions.

On the positive side, more and more travelers seem to be aware of the risks of overtourism and how they can help alleviate the problem. In a 2022 survey conducted by travel booking website Booking.com, 64% of respondents said they would be willing to stay away from crowded tourist sites to avoid crowds. And 31% said they would even be willing to choose an alternative to their preferred destination to help avoid overcrowding.

On that note, let's look at some of the world's most prominent destinations whose problems with overtourism or "overtourism" made headlines in 2023, along with what's being done to fix the problem and how travelers themselves can mitigate (or avoid crowds altogether) in 2024.

• Amsterdam

• Miami Beach

• Venice

• Phuket

• Paris

• Barcelona

• Bali

• Athens.