After a summer of protests in Europe’s most popular holiday destinations against mass tourism and an increasing concern over the erosion of natural environments, several places that were once considered desirable travel locations have been listed as places to avoid when booking a trip away.
Fodor’s Travels’s ‘No List 2025’ comprises ‘highly coveted tourist spots [that] are collapsing under the burden of their own prominence’ and face issues including overcrowding and environmental stress’.
Destinations on this list include a paradise island that’s become a ‘plastic apocalypse’, a driving route in Scotland and places in Europe where locals don’t want you.
These are the 15 places Fodor’s says you should avoid in 2025.
Bali
The idyllic Indonesian island known for its stunning beaches and leafy landscapes has been highlighted as a top destination to avoid this year.
Fodor’s says: ‘Rapid, unchecked development spurred by overtourism is encroaching on Bali’s natural habitats, eroding its environmental and cultural heritage, and creating a ‘plastic apocalypse’.
The idyllic Indonesian island known for its stunning beaches and leafy landscapes has been highlighted as a top destination to avoid this year.
Overtourism has turned Bali into a ‘plastic apocalypse’, Fodor’s says
Barcelona
The Spanish city renowned for its sunshine, thriving nightlife, and breathtaking and unique architecture has become so oversaturated by tourists that locals have had enough.
Over the summer, locals were seen spraying unsuspecting visitors as they dined, while tens of thousands of demonstrators gathered in the city centre demanding that tourists get out.
Fodor’s guide explains that visitors are arriving in such numbers that they’re ‘clogging neighbourhoods’ and ‘altering the very fabric of society’, adding that ‘a good tourism management strategy should make immediate improvements to the lives of locals.’
Because of this, it is best to avoid Barcelona this year, it says.
Demonstrators march shouting slogans against the Formula 1 Barcelona Fan Festival in downtown Barcelona, Spain, Wednesday, June 19, 2024
Venice
The Italian ‘floating city’ attracts masses of tourism every year thanks to its picturesque winding canals and striking architecture.
Similarly to Barcelona, locals don’t want tourists there.
Meanwhile, local authorities have taken measures to clamp down on the number of visitors by introducing a tourist tax.
So, it might be worth reconsidering your trip to Venice this year.
‘No Big Ships’ activists stage a protest as the MSC Orchestra cruise ship leaves Venice, Italy, Saturday, June 5, 2021
The Italian ‘floating city’ attracts masses of tourism every year thanks to its picturesque winding canals and striking architecture
Tokyo
The Japanese capital has become overrun with tourists, with Fodor’s pointing out that the term ‘tourism pollution’ is being increasingly used by local media.
One of the major issues it has caused is a rise in domestic travel prices, as tourists stay in business hotels that then hike their prices.
Kyoto
Another Japanese tourist hotspot, Kyoto has become one of the world’s most desirable travel destinations thanks to its large range of Shinto shrines, Buddhist temples, palaces and gardens – some of which have become UNESCO heritage sites.
But as guide notes, Kyoto’s ‘must-sees’ such as Arashiyama, Kiyomizudera, and Fushimi Inari, are not possible to ‘walk comfortably’ in as they’re ‘overwhelmed by crowds’.
Kyoto has become one of the world’s most desirable travel destinations thanks to its large range of Shinto shrines, Buddhist temples, palaces and gardens
Parts of Kyoto are overwhelmed by crowds
Mallorca
Another Spanish destination that has earned a place in Fodor’s ‘no’ list is the sunny and scenic island of Mallorca.
Thanks to its stunning beaches, warm temperatures and a buzzing nightlife, the Mediterranean island has become particularly popular among British and German tourists.
But such is the strain on local livelihoods, that the sentiment is increasingly anti-tourist.
Over the summer, anti-tourism protestors carried out a series of demonstrations demanding tougher regulations to control the influx of ‘low quality’ tourists flocking ti the Spanish island.
In one particular case, 100 protesters armed with banners and placards stormed a popular party beach and told tourists to ‘go home’ as beachgoers soaked up the sun.
Members of the Mallorca Platja Tour association demonstrate against tourist saturation with a banner that says ‘Let’s occupy our beaches!’ on the beach of Palma de Mallorca on August 11, 2024 in Mallorca, Spain
Over the summer, anti-tourism protestors carried out a series of demonstrations demanding tougher regulations to control the influx of ‘low quality’ tourists flocking ti the Spanish island
Koh Samui
Koh Samui in Thailand has long suffered from overtourism,’ says Fodor’s, ‘but when the new season of The White Lotus premieres in 2025, many fear for what will become of the island.
‘Experts worry the increased traffic will exacerbate existing problems on the island. There are currently 200,000 tons of waste sitting at a landfill beyond the sightline of tourist sites and luxurious villas, as well as rapid, often unregulated, new development on the mountainside.’
Boats at the beauty beach with limestone cliff and crystal clear water in Koh Samui
A wave carrying plastic waste and other rubbish washes up on a beach in Koh Samui
Mount Everest
‘Everest, known locally as Sagarmatha, Chomolungma, or Qomolangma, is a sacred mountain to the Sherpa community, but overtourism is adversely affecting local communities,’ says Fodor’s.
‘It’s also degrading the environment and ruining travellers’ experiences.’
Agrigento, Sicily
The city is preparing to be the Italian Capital of Culture in 2025, which will likely mean an increase in the number of visitors, the guide says.
However, it notes that the area is ‘facing a severe water crisis that could be further aggravated by increased tourism, and could irrevocably harm its most precious cultural treasures and punish its permanent residents’.
Scotland North Coast 500
A surprising destination on the no list is a driving route in Scotland, which has become extremely popular over the years.
Scotland’s North Coast 500 route has become ‘too popular’, says Fodor’s Travel
Thus has threatened the natural environment as a result, and has become a nuisance to the local communities living around it.
‘Camping in tents or motorhomes is one of the most popular ways for tourists to experience the NC500, but a shortfall of adequate facilities including campsites, toilets, and designated chemical waste areas is causing issues along the route.
‘Wild camping on beaches, in laybys, and even on private property is common, and residents report finding campfire scorch marks, trash, disposable grills, and even human faeces in their wake’, the guide says.
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
