#overtourism

#overtourism

Travel has become a trend as generations raised on social media catch flights, not feelings. But Gen Z and millennials may also be redefining travel-all in the search of a more authentic adventure. Hidden-gem locations and no-stress getaways are top of the list for young travelers. It's a shift from the kinds of bucket-list destinations that have saturated Instagram and TikTok and fueled an overtourism crisis in recent years.

In 2025 the Prado, which is home to such masterpieces as Velazquez's Las Meninas and Hieronymus Bosch's The Garden of Earthly Delights, was visited by 3,513,402 people, an increase of more than 56,000 from the previous year. Visitor numbers have risen by more than 816,000 over the past decade. While some museum bosses would be toasting such a success, the Prado's director, Miguel Falomir, is treating it with caution. The Prado doesn't need a single visitor more, he told a press conference on Wednesday.

As international tourism grows, many popular luxury destinations once associated with wealth and exclusivity are now packed with large crowds, long lines, and constant noise. Rob DelliBovi, a luxury travel planner whose clients include celebrities and high-net-worth individuals, told Business Insider many of his clients feel crowded out of places that used to feel special. He said there's a "continuing trend of our clients believing everything is too crowded and they need their own space." As a result, wealthy travelers are deliberately seeking out destinations that others tend to overlook, or that don't yet have the infrastructure to accommodate swaths of more budget-minded travelers.

Some in the latter camp are imposing taxes on the former to grow their revenue, fund local services, or even to manage overcrowding. New Zealand collects a tourism tax to protect its natural environment. Some of these taxes are charged as entry fees, while others are added to the cost of accommodation. Whatever the form, they're increasingly being introduced as a way to manage overtourism and offset the pressure visitors put on popular destinations.

Rome is set to introduce an entrance fee for the Trevi Fountain and five other sites, the Italian capital's mayor announced on Friday. Rome's mayor, Roberto Gualtieri, said at a press conference that tourists will be expected to pay the new fees starting on February 1. Rome residents will be afforded free access to the monument. While the Trevi Fountain will still be viewable from a distance for free, tourists will have to purchase a 2 ($2.35) ticket to get a closer look.

The mayor of a small French town suffering from an influx of tourists to its famous Christmas market has decided to introduce an order of silence in the street, after noise complaints from locals. The town of Riquewihr in Alsace, north-east France, has introduced a 'Rue du Silence' in the town centre, after numerous complaints from locals about noise from tourists. Mayor Daniel Klack says that creating the 'silent street' in a main artery of the town will allow people to 'take a breather' among the bustle and noise of the town's Christmas market, which attracts 450,000 visitors a year.

The travel bucket list, or a catalog of places you must go, has long been a thing, but with the rise in global tourism - and subsequent strains of overtourism - there's increasing talk about where not to go. International tourist arrivals increased 5% globally in the first half of 2025 compared to the same time period a year prior, surpassing pre-pandemic levels, according to the United Nations World Tourism Organization.

As I walked down the busy Essex Street in Salem, Massachusetts, a man dressed as a scary clown popped out from behind a corner, startling tourists before posing for selfies with them. Just down the block, kids with backpacks walked home from school, weaving through crowds of tourists snapping photos. One moment felt like a horror movie, while the next felt like a basic slice of everyday life.

The swish seafront hotels and freshly planted palms on the gleaming promenade might tempt any unwary holidaymaker to book in for Mallorca's Calvia beach. But step out the back door and the resort is still firmly, as it is better known, Magaluf: boozed-up Britain in Spain, with cocktails by the pint. Mallorca gets most of the Balearics' 18 million UK visitors a year: for some residents, far too many.

The new updates are set to take effect in March 2026 and some travelers may see an increase of as much as ¥10,000 ($65.33) per night. The fee will scale in proportion to the room rate. Rooms costing under ¥19,999 ($130.66) will be required to pay a ¥400 ($2.61) fee,EuroNews reported. For more expensive and luxury stays above ¥100,000 ($653.32), a maximum tax of ¥10,000 ($65.33) will be charged, according to The Asahi Shimbun, a Japanese newspaper.

I spent a month in Malta to see if I'd want to retire there one day and make it my forever home. The weather was sunny, and the views were beautiful, but I craved more green spaces. It's a nice place to visit, but I can't see myself living in the small country permanently. The best way to find out, though, is to give different countries a try.

Yeah, I'd say it's just them being physically in the way a lot. Especially in Tokyo, where things work because everyone is moving smoothly along. Then you have tourists getting confused standing in front of ticket gates, or in front of doors, walking slowly side by side, stopping suddenly in a smoothly moving group of people to take photos, or dragging large luggage onto rush hour trains. Honestly, a lot of it is unavoidable, and I don't really blame them for it. But it's hard not to think I'd have a smoother time getting to and from if they weren't there. Especially since I lived here during COVID, when they weren't here, and I know it to be true.

The Aloha State easily entices with beaches of every hue, lush verdant scenery, and a welcoming culture, but finding the best island to visit in Hawaii can be a daunting decision. From bustling urban metropolises to surf towns where lazy days melt away, fine dining establishments to coffee farms, otherworldly volcanic formations to rainforests, Hawaii offers so many different experiences, sites, and activities on offer like no other state.

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging. At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground.

When my husband and I were deciding where to go on our minimoon, we thought the Cotswolds would be perfect. The rural area to the west of England is known for its quintessential countryside charm: brown stone cottages, cosy pubs, and rolling hills. We'd both visited a few times and enjoyed it. But when we found ourselves struggling to move for tourists with selfie sticks (apparently still a thing) and paying £16 ($22) for a coffee and a very disappointing grilled cheese, we realized the area might have become a victim of its own success.

"We know that 80 percent of travelers visit just 10 percent of the world's tourism destinations and we recognize that we have a role to play in influencing that. The selection criteria for our Not Hot List reflects an approach to tourism that we've long championed," Erica Kritikides, the general manager of experiences at Intrepid Travel, said in a statement shared with T+L.

With life's unpredictabilities, planning a trip a year in advance may seem like too much. However, one could argue that it's precisely because of these uncertainties that a good plan, and buffers against any last-minute hiccups, are needed. Getting a head start on an itinerary, and having enough time for preparation, research, and contingencies are absolutely necessary-especially when you're embarking on some of the most remarkable (often, once-in-a-lifetime) travel experiences that the world has to offer. There's no time to be wasted.

Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging. At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

Last summer, Spain's Balearic Islands launched one of Europe's toughest crackdowns on alcohol-fuelled party tourism. In popular resorts such as Magaluf in Mallorca and Sant Antoni in Ibiza, tourists spilled out of bars at dawn, clutched cheap bottles from late-night shops, and treated entire neighbourhoods as giant open-air nightclubs. Local people were fed up. Noise complaints, violent brawls and clashes between residents and intoxicated tourists became routine.

When Olivier Baroin moved into an apartment in Montmartre about 15 years ago, it felt like he was living in a village in the heart of Paris. Not anymore.Stores for residents are disappearing, along with the friendly atmosphere, he says. In their place are hordes of people taking selfies, shops selling tourist trinkets, and cafés whose seating spills into the narrow, cobbled streets as overtourism takes its toll.

Overtourism has become an increasing concern for popular vacation destinations in the post-pandemic years, as an overwhelming influx of visitors to Instagrammable hot spots puts pressure on local infrastructure and communities.

The judge in Madrid ordered the closure of 10 tourist flats, citing illicit activities that inflicted psychological damage on a neighboring family and violated their privacy rights.

Spain has become a victim of its own success, with the golden visa program ending and locals concerned about housing affordability due to an influx of expats.

Travelers to Europe, mark your calendars. On June 15, activists across southern Europe will protest against tourism, highlighting its negative impacts such as overtourism.