10 Beautiful Overtourism Destinations Being Damaged by Too Many Tourists

There is a strange problem facing some of the most beautiful places on Earth.

They became famous because people wanted to see them.

Then so many people arrived that the very qualities attracting visitors began to suffer.

Beaches became crowded with boats.

Mountain trails accumulated waste.

Historic neighborhoods lost permanent residents as homes became tourist accommodation.

Ancient sites needed strict daily limits to control foot traffic.

Tiny villages began receiving visitor numbers completely out of proportion to their population.

This is overtourism.

The term does not simply mean that a destination is popular.

Paris is popular. New York is popular. Tokyo is popular.

Overtourism occurs when visitor numbers, or their concentration in particular places and times, begin creating unacceptable pressure on the environment, infrastructure, cultural heritage or everyday lives of residents.

UNESCO describes consequences ranging from overcrowded public spaces and ecosystem degradation to rising housing pressure and the displacement of local businesses.

The important point is that tourism itself is not automatically destructive.

Tourism can finance:

conservation;

historic restoration;

restaurants;

hotels;

transport;

local employment;

national parks;

and entire regional economies.

The problem begins when the number of visitors grows faster than the destination’s ability to absorb them.

That is exactly what is happening across a growing number of overtourism destinations.

Some authorities are now charging entrance fees.

Others restrict cruise ships.

Some cap daily visitors.

National parks temporarily close famous beaches.

Cities are limiting holiday rentals.

And mountain authorities are introducing gates and reservations simply to stop too many people arriving at the same time.

These are ten beautiful overtourism destinations where popularity has become part of the threat.

Overtourism Destinations at a Glance

Destination	Main Pressure	Response
Venice, Italy	Crowding, housing transformation, lagoon pressure	Day-visitor access fee
Santorini, Greece	Cruise crowds concentrated in small villages	8,000 daily cruise-passenger cap
Machu Picchu, Peru	Heritage pressure and heavy foot traffic	Strict daily capacity limits
Maya Bay, Thailand	Coral and marine ecosystem damage	Seasonal closures and tighter access
Boracay, Philippines	Wastewater, development and carrying-capacity problems	Major rehabilitation and visitor controls
Dubrovnik, Croatia	Cruise congestion around historic Old City	Cruise scheduling and visitor management
Mount Fuji, Japan	Crowding, unsafe climbing and environmental pressure	Fees, gates and daily limits
Barcelona, Spain	Crowded public spaces, housing and resident pressure	Tourism management and high-footfall controls
Amsterdam, Netherlands	Neighborhood overcrowding and holiday-rental pressure	Reduced rental nights and visitor controls
Bali, Indonesia	Tourism concentrated in heavily developed areas	Tourist levy and sustainability measures

The problems differ.

So do the solutions.

That is why overtourism destinations cannot simply ban tourism and declare the problem solved.

They have to preserve the destination while protecting the communities that depend economically on visitors.

1. Venice, Italy — When a Historic City Starts Becoming a Tourist Product

Few places symbolize overtourism as clearly as Venice.

The city was never designed for modern mass tourism.

Its historic center consists of:

narrow streets;

small bridges;

fragile buildings;

canals;

islands;

and public spaces created centuries before international tourism reached today’s scale.

Yet Venice attracts enormous numbers of visitors.

Many arrive only for the day.

They walk through a relatively small collection of famous areas:

St. Mark’s Square;

the Rialto Bridge;

the Grand Canal.

The result is extraordinary crowd concentration.

But crowding is only part of the problem.

UNESCO says exceptionally high tourism pressure has contributed to changes in the historic city’s functions. Residential housing has been converted to accommodation, while traditional activities and services have increasingly been replaced by tourism-related businesses.

That makes Venice one of the most complicated overtourism destinations because the threat is cultural as well as physical.

A historic city can preserve every façade and still lose part of its identity if ordinary residents can no longer live normal lives inside it.

Venice Now Charges Some Day Visitors

Venice has responded with an experimental access fee for day visitors on selected high-demand dates.

For 2026, the city scheduled the fee across 60 days between April and July. Visitors subject to the scheme paid €5 when booking sufficiently early or €10 closer to the visit date.

The stated goal is to encourage advance planning and improve management of tourist flows. Venice Access Fee 2026

Venice has also restricted large cruise ships from entering sensitive parts of the lagoon.

Tourism is not disappearing.

Instead, the city is trying to prevent tourism from overwhelming the place people came to experience.

The broader tension—seeing famous destinations without damaging them—is central to The News Ink’s Smart Travel guide.

2. Santorini, Greece — Too Many People Arriving at the Same Time

Santorini looks almost designed for tourism photographs.

White houses.

Blue church domes.

Black volcanic cliffs.

The Aegean Sea.

And the famous sunset in Oia.

That visual perfection is exactly what created the problem.

Santorini is an island with limited roads, limited public space and small settlements.

Cruise ships can place thousands of additional people on the island within a few hours.

Those visitors often want to see the same locations at roughly the same time.

Oia at sunset becomes the obvious example.

Narrow pedestrian streets that work perfectly well for a small island community become densely packed with visitors trying to reach the same viewpoints.

The challenge is therefore not simply annual tourist totals.

It is simultaneous concentration.

Santorini Has Capped Cruise Passengers

Santorini’s Municipal Port Fund adopted a cruise policy specifically referring to the island’s carrying capacity and the need to manage visitor flows.

For both 2025 and 2026, the maximum scheduled cruise-passenger volume was set at 8,000 visitors in a single day.

That makes Santorini an important example among overtourism destinations.

Eight thousand people spread across a large city might be insignificant.

Eight thousand cruise passengers arriving during the same day on a comparatively small island and concentrating around a handful of villages can change the entire experience.

This is why sustainable tourism increasingly focuses not only on how many people visit, but on:

where they go;

when they arrive;

how long they stay;

and whether the local infrastructure can handle them.

3. Machu Picchu, Peru — Protecting a World-Famous Archaeological Site

Machu Picchu has survived for centuries high in Peru’s Andes.

Modern tourism introduced a challenge its Inca builders never had to consider.

Thousands of people moving through the archaeological complex every day.

Visitors walk through ancient stone structures, terraces and pathways within a landscape that is both culturally priceless and environmentally sensitive.

Machu Picchu is therefore not simply a tourist attraction.

It is a finite archaeological resource.

Physical heritage cannot absorb unlimited use.

That has forced Peru to manage visitation through specific circuits and capacity limits.

Daily Visits Are Officially Limited

For 2026, Peru’s Ministry of Culture maintained a general maximum capacity of 4,500 visitors per day, rising to 5,600 per day during specified high-season dates.

These are not arbitrary numbers designed merely to make tickets harder to obtain.

Peru explicitly links the capacity system with protecting and conserving the archaeological heritage.

Machu Picchu therefore demonstrates why some overtourism destinations need limits before visible destruction becomes irreversible.

Ancient sites cannot simply be rebuilt if centuries-old surfaces are permanently damaged.

The News Ink’s guide to ancient wonders you can still visit today explores the same challenge: famous historical places remain accessible only when tourism and conservation are kept in balance.

4. Maya Bay, Thailand — The Beach Tourism Nearly Loved to Death

Maya Bay offers one of the clearest examples of overtourism causing direct ecological damage.

The bay sits on Ko Phi Phi Le in Thailand.

Towering limestone cliffs surround turquoise water and white sand.

Its global popularity exploded after it appeared in the film The Beach.

Then tourism became overwhelming.

Speedboats arrived continuously.

Tourists crowded the sand.

Marine ecosystems experienced growing pressure.

The situation became serious enough that Thai authorities closed the bay.

This is what separates Maya Bay from overtourism destinations where the main complaint is uncomfortable crowds.

Here, authorities concluded nature needed time without tourists.

Maya Bay Now Receives Regular Rest Periods

Thailand continues to use seasonal closures to allow environmental rehabilitation.

The Thai government’s public-relations department confirmed closures covering Maya Bay and nearby areas so natural resources could recover, while also protecting visitors during rough monsoon conditions.

Surveys during closure periods have also documented blacktip reef sharks using the bay.

The modern visitor experience is far more controlled than during the period when boats crowded directly into the beach.

Maya Bay teaches a powerful lesson:

A destination can become so successful that the tourism model begins destroying the product tourism is selling.

Clear water and marine life are not unlimited resources.

Once coral reefs and ecosystems deteriorate badly enough, beautiful photographs cannot restore them.

The issue connects directly with the broader environmental pressures discussed in The News Ink’s Climate Change Explained guide, although climate change and overtourism are separate pressures and should not be confused.

5. Boracay, Philippines — The Island That Had to Close

Boracay became famous for a very simple reason.

Its beaches are spectacular.

White sand and tropical water transformed a small Philippine island into a major international destination.

Tourism then expanded rapidly.

Hotels.

Restaurants.

Businesses.

Visitor infrastructure.

Eventually development and waste-management problems became severe enough that the Philippine government took an extraordinary measure.

Boracay was closed to tourists for months in 2018 while authorities carried out a major rehabilitation program.

The closure was dramatic because tourism was one of the island’s main economic engines.

But officials argued that continuing without intervention would allow environmental degradation to worsen.

Carrying Capacity Became Central to Boracay’s Future

After rehabilitation, authorities introduced rules tied to carrying capacity.

The Philippine Department of Environment and Natural Resources reported an island tourist capacity of about 19,215 tourists at one time, with a recommended daily tourist arrival figure around 6,405 under the study it cited.

Government guidelines were explicitly intended to prevent tourist influx from undoing the rehabilitation work.

Boracay is one of the most useful case studies among overtourism destinations because it shows what can happen when infrastructure development fails to keep pace with tourism growth.

Beaches do not exist independently of:

sewage systems;

waste disposal;

freshwater;

roads;

housing;

and coastal management.

A paradise marketed to millions still needs ordinary infrastructure.

6. Dubrovnik, Croatia — A Medieval City Meets the Cruise Industry

Dubrovnik’s Old City is surrounded by extraordinary medieval walls overlooking the Adriatic.

Its historic core is also physically small.

That matters when cruise passengers arrive by the thousands.

Large cruise ships can release enormous numbers of visitors within relatively short periods.

Those passengers then converge on:

city gates;

historic streets;

the walls;

public squares;

and major filming locations popularized by television and film.

Crowding becomes more than inconvenience when a World Heritage city must preserve both its physical structures and the everyday function of the community.

UNESCO previously called for Dubrovnik to develop a tourism strategy and determine the sustainable carrying capacity of the historic city, specifically raising concerns around cruise tourism.

Dubrovnik Started Controlling Cruise Flows

The city later worked with cruise operators under its Respect the City approach.

Dubrovnik reported plans limiting cruise passengers to roughly 4,000 simultaneously, typically associated with about two ships at berth.

Dubrovnik demonstrates why overtourism destinations often need to manage peaks rather than simply reduce annual tourism.

Twenty thousand visitors arriving gradually across several days can behave very differently from thousands arriving through the same gates within hours.

Tourism’s timing matters.

7. Mount Fuji, Japan — When Climbing a Sacred Mountain Becomes Mass Tourism

Mount Fuji is not only Japan’s highest mountain.

It is a cultural symbol.

A sacred landscape.

A UNESCO World Heritage site.

And one of the country’s most recognizable images.

The climbing season creates an unusual pressure.

Huge numbers of people want to reach the summit during a relatively short summer period.

Problems have included:

crowded trails;

poorly equipped climbers;

overnight “bullet climbing” without adequate rest;

waste;

pressure on mountain facilities;

and safety concerns.

Japan now openly describes its policies as Mount Fuji overtourism countermeasures.

Mount Fuji Now Has Gates, Fees and Limits

For the 2026 Yoshida Trail season, climbers face a ¥4,000 hiking fee.

The gate closes between 2 p.m. and 3 a.m. for most climbers, and a daily limit of 4,000 people applies on the route.

That is a remarkable transformation.

A mountain once approached primarily as a climb now requires visitor-flow management comparable to a major attraction.

Mount Fuji shows that overtourism destinations are not limited to cities and beaches.

Even enormous natural landscapes can have bottlenecks.

A mountain might cover a vast area, but if everyone needs:

the same trail;

the same huts;

the same toilets;

and the same summit route,

the effective tourism space becomes surprisingly small.

8. Barcelona, Spain — When Tourism Changes Everyday Neighborhoods

Barcelona demonstrates a different form of overtourism.

Its main problem cannot be reduced to physical damage to one monument.

Tourism interacts with the entire city.

Barcelona receives roughly 30 million visitors annually, according to the city’s tourism-management materials.

The city identifies major challenges in heavily visited areas including:

overcrowded public spaces;

changes to local retail;

touristification;

and disturbance to residents.

Places such as:

La Rambla;

Sagrada Família;

Park Güell;

the Gothic Quarter;

and the waterfront

can attract extraordinary visitor concentrations.

At the same time, short-term accommodation can interact with housing markets and neighborhood character.

Barcelona Is Moving From Promotion to Management

For years, destination marketing focused on attracting additional tourists.

Barcelona increasingly speaks instead about managing tourism.

Its 2024–2027 tourism strategy includes specific attention to high-footfall areas, public space, accommodation, mobility, environmental impacts and balancing tourism with residents’ lives.

This makes Barcelona one of the most revealing urban overtourism destinations.

The issue is no longer:

How can we persuade more people to visit?

It is:

How can millions of visitors exist inside a functioning city without pushing daily life aside?

The distinction is fundamental.

A city is not a theme park.

People need to:

sleep;

work;

shop;

raise children;

commute;

and afford housing

in the same neighborhoods tourists want to photograph.

9. Amsterdam, Netherlands — Tourism Pressure Reaches Residential Streets

Amsterdam faces a similar challenge.

Its canals and historic center are beautiful precisely because they are part of a living city.

But visitor demand has become intense.

Amsterdam’s own government says it wants to limit visitor numbers to keep the city pleasant to live in.

Its measures include:

reducing nuisance tourism;

halving river cruises;

spreading visitors;

restricting hotel growth;

and regulating behavior in parts of the center.

The housing dimension has become particularly important.

In 2026, Amsterdam reduced allowable holiday-rental nights from 30 to 15 nights per year in eight high-pressure neighborhoods.

The city explicitly linked the change to tourism pressure, nuisance and residential quality of life.

Research published by Amsterdam in 2026 found tourism carrying capacity under pressure in six neighborhoods based on tourism intensity and resident livability.

Among overtourism destinations, Amsterdam shows how the consequences can move beyond famous attractions.

Tourism enters apartment buildings.

Residential streets.

Housing availability.

Nightlife.

Local businesses.

At that stage, tourism management becomes urban policy.

10. Bali, Indonesia — Paradise Under Pressure From Concentrated Tourism

Bali is geographically much larger than many destinations on this list.

That means describing the whole island as uniformly overwhelmed would be inaccurate.

The pressure is heavily concentrated.

Indonesia’s tourism authorities have emphasized that the problem is particularly acute in parts of southern Bali rather than across the entire island. In 2025, the Tourism Ministry described tourism concentration in southern Bali as a sensitive issue and promoted distributing visitors toward northern areas.

That distinction matters.

Areas such as:

Kuta;

Seminyak;

Canggu;

and parts of southern Bali

have absorbed enormous tourism development.

Tourist demand increases pressure on:

roads;

waste systems;

land;

water;

coastlines;

and cultural spaces.

Bali Introduced a Foreign Tourist Levy

Since February 2024, international tourists have been charged a 150,000-rupiah levy.

Bali’s provincial government says revenue is intended to help protect the island’s culture and natural environment.

That does not mean one small fee solves Bali’s environmental challenges.

It demonstrates that tourism authorities increasingly recognize that millions of visitors impose costs that must be managed.

Bali also provides an opportunity for travelers themselves.

Instead of concentrating exclusively in already busy areas, visitors can explore less crowded regions—provided those places are developed responsibly rather than simply becoming the next overtourism destinations.

For travelers comparing less expensive alternatives and longer itineraries, The News Ink’s guide to 10 cheap countries for tourists also emphasizes that affordability should be balanced with responsible travel.

What Actually Damages Overtourism Destinations?

Overtourism does not cause one universal type of damage.

The effects differ dramatically.

Physical Wear

Historic stairs, paths, archaeological surfaces and buildings experience repeated physical stress.

One person walking across stone causes almost nothing.

Millions of footsteps create another problem.

Ecosystem Damage

Beaches, coral reefs, dunes and wildlife habitats can be disturbed by:

boats;

anchors;

swimming;

waste;

construction;

and repeated human presence.

Maya Bay is an especially clear example.

Waste and Sewage

Tourism can multiply a small destination’s temporary population.

But its waste infrastructure may have been built for the permanent residents.

That mismatch can create pollution.

Water Demand

Hotels, pools, restaurants and millions of visitors consume freshwater.

On small islands and dry destinations, this can become a major sustainability problem.

Housing Pressure

Short-term accommodation can shift housing away from long-term residents.

Venice, Amsterdam and Barcelona demonstrate why urban overtourism destinations often experience social effects that a national park would not.

Transport Congestion

Cruise passengers, coaches, taxis, rental cars and tour buses can overwhelm roads never designed for current visitor volumes.

Loss of Local Character

An area filled mainly with:

souvenir shops;

holiday rentals;

international chains;

and tourist restaurants

can eventually stop functioning as the community visitors originally wanted to experience.

The irony is severe.

Tourism can destroy authenticity by trying to consume too much of it.

Social Media Has Changed Overtourism

Travel existed long before Instagram or TikTok.

But social media can concentrate demand with extraordinary speed.

One photograph goes viral.

A viewpoint becomes famous.

Travel creators repeat it.

Tour companies add it.

Thousands of visitors arrive wanting exactly the same picture from exactly the same location.

This creates what might be called micro-overtourism.

An entire country may have plenty of tourism capacity while one:

beach;

street;

bridge;

sunset viewpoint;

mountain trail;

or café

becomes overwhelmed.

Santorini’s sunset crowds are a perfect example.

The challenge for modern overtourism destinations is therefore often concentration rather than total numbers.

Why Don’t Destinations Simply Ban Tourists?

Because tourism can also be economically essential.

Hotels employ people.

Restaurants employ people.

Taxi drivers need passengers.

Guides depend on visitors.

Entrance fees finance historic sites.

National parks collect conservation revenue.

Families operate guesthouses.

Airlines and ferries connect remote communities.

Closing tourism completely can therefore create severe economic damage.

Boracay’s temporary closure demonstrated this trade-off vividly.

The goal is usually not zero tourism.

It is sustainable tourism.

That means trying to find a level and type of visitation that creates more benefits than costs.

Is Charging Tourists the Solution?

Fees can help.

Venice charges some day visitors.

Mount Fuji charges climbers.

Bali collects a foreign visitor levy.

Barcelona collects tourism-related taxes.

But a fee alone does not automatically solve overtourism.

If a tourist happily pays €10 and nothing else changes, Venice is still crowded.

Money helps only when it supports:

infrastructure;

conservation;

cleaning;

public transport;

visitor management;

heritage protection;

or incentives that change behavior.

Prices can also redistribute tourism toward quieter periods.

A destination might charge more during peak season while encouraging:

weekday visits;

winter visits;

overnight stays;

less crowded routes.

The objective is managing demand rather than simply monetizing congestion.

Should We Stop Visiting Famous Places?

No.

That would oversimplify the issue.

Tourism supports many communities, and responsible visitors can help finance conservation.

The better approach is changing how we visit.

Consider:

traveling outside peak season;

staying overnight instead of rushing through as a day trip;

using public transport;

following designated routes;

respecting visitor limits;

avoiding environmentally sensitive areas;

supporting locally owned businesses;

not entering restricted areas for photographs;

and considering less crowded alternatives.

The News Ink’s article on places you’re not supposed to visit makes the most important boundary clear: when authorities close a location for conservation, safety or cultural protection, curiosity does not override the restriction.

Overtourism Can Move Instead of Disappear

There is another risk.

Suppose everyone hears that Venice is overcrowded.

Travel influencers begin recommending a nearby “secret Venice.”

Millions follow.

The alternative destination becomes crowded.

Then another “hidden gem” appears.

Responsible tourism cannot simply mean discovering quieter places and advertising them aggressively to everyone.

Some destinations remain quiet because their infrastructure and ecosystems support only limited tourism.

Spreading visitors can help.

Creating ten new overtourism destinations does not.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is overtourism?

Overtourism occurs when visitor numbers or tourism intensity create excessive pressure on local communities, infrastructure, heritage or natural environments.

What are some famous overtourism destinations?

Major overtourism destinations include Venice, Santorini, Machu Picchu, Maya Bay, Dubrovnik, Mount Fuji, Barcelona and Amsterdam.

Is overtourism the same as mass tourism?

Not exactly. A destination can receive millions of tourists without becoming overwhelmed if it has sufficient infrastructure and visitors are distributed effectively. Overtourism refers to tourism exceeding what a place or community can sustainably absorb.

How does tourism damage beaches?

Large visitor numbers can contribute to litter, wastewater, habitat disturbance, coral damage, boat pressure and construction along coastlines.

Why did Maya Bay close?

Thai authorities closed and later seasonally restricted Maya Bay to allow environmental recovery and improve safety. The bay now operates under much tighter visitor management.

Why does Machu Picchu limit tourists?

Machu Picchu is a fragile archaeological and natural heritage site. Peru limits daily entry and controls visitor routes to help protect it.

Why does Mount Fuji charge climbers?

Mount Fuji’s climbing controls are intended to address safety, congestion and environmental-management issues. The Yoshida Trail currently uses an entrance fee, nighttime gate restrictions and a daily limit.

Is Venice banning tourists?

No. Venice remains open to visitors. It has introduced an access-fee system for certain day visitors on selected dates as part of managing tourism flows.

Does tourism increase housing costs?

Tourism can interact with housing pressure when residential properties are converted into short-term accommodation. The scale of the effect varies by destination, but cities such as Amsterdam, Barcelona and Venice explicitly regulate tourism partly because of residential and neighborhood impacts.

Can tourism be sustainable?

Yes. Tourism can support conservation and local economies when visitor levels, infrastructure, development and behavior remain compatible with the destination’s environmental and social capacity.

Beautiful Places Can Become Victims of Their Own Success

The tragedy of overtourism destinations is that nobody originally wanted to destroy them.

The opposite happened.

People loved them.

A photograph of Santorini inspired another traveler.

Machu Picchu became a dream destination.

Venice’s canals attracted generations of visitors.

Maya Bay looked so extraordinary that millions wanted to stand on its sand.

Mount Fuji became a climb people wanted to complete at least once in their lives.

Each visitor represented only one person.

One photograph.

One hotel room.

One meal.

One boat trip.

The problem appears when millions of individually harmless decisions arrive in the same place.

A narrow street cannot become wider simply because tourism is profitable.

A coral reef cannot recover instantly because visitors paid entrance fees.

A medieval city cannot manufacture unlimited apartments for residents.

A mountain trail cannot absorb infinite footsteps.

An archaeological site cannot replace its stones every few years.

That is the central problem confronting overtourism destinations.

There is always a carrying capacity somewhere.

Sometimes it is ecological.

Sometimes physical.

Sometimes social.

And sometimes residents simply reach the point where tourism no longer feels compatible with ordinary life.

The solutions being tested around the world reflect that reality.

Venice uses access fees.

Santorini limits cruise flows.

Machu Picchu controls daily capacity.

Maya Bay closes periodically.

Boracay underwent rehabilitation.

Dubrovnik coordinates cruise arrivals.

Mount Fuji uses gates and fees.

Barcelona manages high-footfall neighborhoods.

Amsterdam restricts holiday rentals.

Bali collects money for cultural and environmental protection while trying to spread tourism beyond concentrated areas.

None of these solutions is perfect.

But they represent an important shift.

For decades, tourism policy often asked:

How do we attract more visitors?

Many of the world’s most famous destinations are now asking:

How do we protect the place from the visitors we already have?

The answer cannot simply be telling everyone to stay home.

Travel creates understanding, employment and enormous economic value.

The better goal is making tourism work within real limits.

For travelers, that means recognizing that beautiful places are not products with unlimited inventory.

They are:

communities;

ecosystems;

historic landscapes;

mountains;

islands;

and living cultural spaces.

We can visit them.

We can enjoy them.

But if tourism destroys the qualities that made us want to go there, everybody eventually loses.

That is the uncomfortable lesson behind today’s overtourism destinations.

Sometimes loving a place responsibly means accepting that we cannot all stand in exactly the same spot at exactly the same time.

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