Travel

Tourists are ‘loving’ their favorite spots to death

International travel is rapidly becoming more common — but most of the world’s global jetsetters are visiting a select few locations, creating significant concerns regarding overcrowding.

Here’s the problem: The top 20 countries for international arrivals account for nearly two-thirds of all global travel, according to a new report from consulting firm McKinsey & Company and the World Travel and Tourism Council. And the top ten countries alone for international tourists make up nearly half of all international travel.

Imbalances like these occur at a more local level, too. France is the most popular destination for international travelers — but Paris takes in three times as many visitors per capita as the Champagne region, the report notes. “Some destinations are in danger of being loved to death,” the report noted.


The top 20 countries by number of international visitors
Country International visitors in 2016 (in millions)
France 82 million
United States 76 million
Spain 76 million
China 59 million
Italy 53 million
United Kingdom 36 million
Germany 36 million
Mexico 35 million
Thailand 33 million
Russia 32 million
Austria 28 million
Malaysia 27 million
Hong Kong 27 million
Turkey 26 million
Greece 25 million
Japan 24 million
United Arab Emirates 21 million
Portugal 20 million
Canada 20 million
Saudi Arabia 19 million

The problem may only get worse in the years to come, as more millennials begin traveling internationally. Studies have shown that millennials prioritize experiences over possessions. And 72 percent of American millennials said they were planning to travel more, compared with 59 percent of Gen Xers and 40 percent of boomers, according to a study travel planning website Hipmunk.

Tourists wait in line to visit Notre-Dame cathedral in Paris, France.AFP/Getty Images

The high concentration of tourists in some destinations is already having a major effect on local residents and the environment. In Venice, Italy, tourists now outnumber locals on an average day — a trend that has caused many residents to relocate. Meanwhile, 80 percent of the coral reefs in Thailand’s Koh Khai islands have been damaged by people, many of whom were tourists. And in the Philippines, increases in tourism have contributed to water shortages.

Overcrowding doesn’t just have an impact on the environment and local residents — it can also make for a worse travel experience — as seen on travel review sites like TripAdvisor. “In many places, the tourist experience itself is deteriorating due to queues, crowding, or simply annoyance,” the report’s authors wrote. A wide variety of cities were particularly at risk for a degraded tourist experience as a result of overcrowding — everywhere from Cancun to Orlando to Ho Chi Minh City.

Addressing over-crowding concerns isn’t an easy feat though, researchers explained, because its causes and effects vary so much from place to place. “The challenge is sometimes one of time, driven by high levels of seasonality or day visitors,” the report noted. “Some destinations struggle to absorb crowds of domestic visitors, others face an influx of international visitors, and still others experience both.”

In addition to developing strategies for cities overrun with seasonal day visitors and more traditional tourists, there are also ethical concerns for locals who rely on those tourism dollars: Intervening to reduce tourism to a specific area could constrict a major source of income for locals. And such maneuvers may result in making a destination more accessible to wealthier travelers.

A tourist takes a selfie in front of the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem, Israel.Getty Images

Nevertheless, there have been concerted and successful efforts to reduce overcrowding. Some governments have intervened to reduce how many visitors can travel to a destination or how long they could stay, as Ecuador did with the Galapagos Islands. Tourism councils have also pushed promotions and discounts to attract tourists during off-seasons or to less frequented locations.

In the most severe cases where tourism has put treasured sites at serious risk, some countries have cut off access altogether or banned certain activities. Majorca, Spain, now restricts public drinking. Officials in Rome are considering block tour bus access to the city center. France’s Lascaux Cave is now off-limits completely to the public, since human contact with the cave was damaging the site’s famous prehistoric paintings.

Tourists are also making smarter choices. Many millennial travelers now forego the typical tourist traps for more authentic, off-the-beaten-path experiences — a practice that on a larger scale could reduce overcrowding in popular destinations. Ecotourism and engaging in volunteer projects have also helped offset the corrosive impact of mass tourism.