As we are entering the final few days of 2024, many people will be looking ahead for their next travel destination.
However, there only ever seem to be a handful of destinations that top people’s lists every year. With that comes extensive crowds and the phrase that has epitomised many hotspots in 2024: overtourism.
Each year, travel guide publisher Fodor’s aims to “shine a light” on destinations suffering from untenable popularity.
“These locations are popular for good reason—they are stunning, intriguing, and culturally significant. However, some of these highly coveted tourist spots are collapsing under the burden of their own prominence.”
Fodor’s does not advocate for travel boycotts – they harm local economies and fail to bring about meaningful change.
“But we do believe that the first step to alleviating a problem is recognizing there is one.
“The No List serves to highlight destinations where tourism is placing unsustainable pressures on the land and local communities. And these stresses need to be addressed.
“That way, the world’s favorite destinations can stay that way for the next generation.”
Revealed below are the 15 “No” destinations that tourists should reconsider visiting in 2025.
Topping the “perennial no list” is Indonesia’s Bali, where overtourism has created what Fodor described as a “plastic apocalypse”.
With 5.3 million international visitors in 2023 – a strong recovery compared to pre-pandemic levels – once pristine Balinese beaches are now buried under nearly 303,000 tons of plastic waste, with local waste management systems struggling to keep up with demand.
Kristin Winkaffe, a Southeast Asia sustainable travel expert, said: “Bali’s waste management is barely keeping up with the volume of trash, and that’s an understatement.
“Overtourism affects the very core of Balinese life. Traditional practices like the subak irrigation system, which has supported rice paddies for centuries, are now under strain as water is diverted to tourist areas.
“Without change, we’re risking more than just beautiful scenery – we’re at risk of losing cultural identity itself.”
(Image: Getty)
Several Spanish destinations were all namechecked as “European destinations where locals don’t want you” due to tourism protests this summer, including Barcelona.
In July, unsuspecting tourists were squirted with water pistols in the centre of the Catalan capital, as angry protesters called for visitors to go home. In 2023, Barcelona tourists spent €9.6 billion (£7.9 billion) in the city, an increase of 26.1% compared with 2022.
Barcelona currently has over 10,000 licensed holiday rentals on platforms like Airbnb and the average home now rents for 68% more than a decade ago.
The local government has pledged to revoke all short-term rental licenses by 2028 and crack down on illegal tourist apartments throughout the city.
Daniel Pardo Rivacoba, a member of the Barcelona activist group Assembly of Neighborhoods for Tourism Degrowth, said: “The problem is now, [and has been ongoing for] at least 15 years. Nothing proves they will do that. Once again it is much more about pretending to do than about doing.”
(Image: Getty)