Many popular holiday spots are struggling with overtourism
Holidays are a chance to get away and immerse yourself in new culture, see world-famous landmarks and experience new foods. However, it can be less than enjoyable if there are hundreds of other tourists there as well.
After years not travelling due to the pandemic, it seems most of us want to get back out there and see as much as we can. Tourists from all over the world have headed to popular destinations, with some now feeling overcrowded.
In the UK, Edinburgh Castle claimed the top spot of the world’s most overcrowded landmark. But, a 2023 study from MoneyTransfers.com revealed the most overcrowded destinations in the world.
According to their research, Phuket in Thailand is the most crowded tourist destination in the world. It has staggering 118 tourists to every local resident.
Phuket is one of the leading beach destinations in Thailand and is home to several of the world’s best. Kata and Karon rank as some of the best beaches in the world.
Due to its stunning scenery and popularity, tourists may find overcrowded beaches particularly during peak season. Thailand’s Pattaya and Krabi also ranked as the second and third most overcrowded spots in the world.
It means Thailand has the most spots on the top 10 list, followed by Greece and Turkey. Heraklion in Greece took the seventh spot on the overcrowded list as it has 22 tourists to every local resident.
Not surprisingly, Venice in Italy also ranked on the list as it has 21 tourists to every resident.
Simone Venturini, the newly appointed mayor of Venice, recently announced plans to significantly raise a contentious tourist charge for visitors entering the historic city.
In 2024, Venice made history as the first tourist destination to impose an entry fee, initially set at €5, on busy days spanning April to July.
Additional days were added to the scheme, with the charge for last-minute visitors later rising to €10, roughly £8.60.
Local politicians hoped levy would help alleviate overcrowding in the ancient city and would deter people from visiting during peak periods. This comes as approximately 30 million people annually are believed to flock to Venice.
Now, Mr Venturini is now pushing to raise the entry fee to as much as €50. Rhodes in Greece also made the list with over 20 tourists for every resident, while Miami in the US has 18 tourists to every local.
The world’s most overcrowded destinations
- Phuket, Thailand
- Pattaya, Thailand
- Krabi, Thailand
- Mugla, Turkey
- Hurghada, Turkey
- Macau, China
- Heraklion, Greece
- Venice, Italy
- Rhodes, Greece
- Miami, USA
