welcome to mojo travels and today we're counting down our picks for
the top 10 destinations combatting over tourism are you a fan of our videos
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for this list we'll be looking at destinations that have suffered as a result of their
popularity with tourists though covert 19 has complicated the narrative surrounding over tourism
the destinations on our list have all made concerted efforts to make tourism more sustainable
number 10. boracay island philippines the recent history of this island in the philippines has been
quite the roller coaster mere decades ago it was considered paradise on earth an idyllic getaway
to rival the most beautiful beach destinations in the world when the secret got out however it soon
became completely overrun with tourists and so in 2018 a boracay island was completely closed
off to tourists for six months this time was used to strengthen the infrastructure clean up the area
and kick-start ecological recovery when the island reopened in october of 2018 its new regulations
made it something of a model for sustainable tourism specifically the cap on tourists
after the effects of kovid there have been some calls from local businesses to ease restrictions
so only time will tell if boracay island can continue along the path of sustainability
number nine machu picchu when a bygone civilization leaves behind something so
remarkable it's only natural that everyone in the world wants to see it this inca citadel located in
peru on a mountaintop of the eastern cordillera has rightfully been called one of the new seven
wonders of the world unfortunately machu picchu's popularity has also hastened its decline all
landmarks deteriorate with time unless preserved but here the heavy foot traffic from visitors has
made the cultural erosion so common with over much more literal our fascination with machu picchu was
destroying it thankfully the peruvian government has taken measures to protect the site by placing
strict limitations on the number of people visiting at any given time there are also ongoing
efforts to preserve and restore the structures with a more sustainable approach machu picchu will
hopefully survive to inspire generations of future travelers number eight santorini greece it's hard
to believe but when international travelers first began visiting this beautiful greek island it was
considered a sleepy getaway over the last two decades however it's become arguably the single
most popular greek island and that's had a major effect on the lifestyle culture and quality of
life locals are drastically outnumbered the once distinct and authentic vibe has been undermined
by increasingly tourist-centric businesses and experiences at certain times of the day the towns
of ia and fira can feel like an amusement park you find yourself stuck in a line not for anything
in particular but quite simply to pass through a narrow part of the street santorini's economy has
become hopelessly intertwined with tourism there's likely no going back what the local government has
done however is start limiting the number of cruise ships daytrippers have a tendency to
flood the island while contributing the least to the economy number seven pharaoh islands
the best way to combat over tourism start planning for it the moment you see your travel industry
beginning to take off as travellers increasingly seek out unique authentic and remote experiences
once sleepy islands have become the hottest destinations boasting breathtaking views and
awe-inspiring terrain this autonomous territory of denmark has often drawn comparisons to iceland
and in recent years word of mouth has caused the number of international tourists to multiply many
times over in order to preserve the beauty and integrity of the pharaoh islands the entire place
shuts down one weekend a year the borders are close to all visitors with the exception of a
very small volunteer workforce who come to help clean and work on infrastructure the goal is to
make it so the beauty of the pharaoh islands can be shared with the world without being destroyed
in the process number six dubrovnik croatia a few years ago the fact that this city served as a
shooting location for game of thrones was credited with the mass influx of tourists while the popular
series has come and gone dubrovnik only continues to get more and more popular it's gotten to the
point that dubrovnik is often treated as a case study for over tourism by travel experts given the
city's stunning architecture mediterranean climate coastal views and rich local culture there's
little wonder as to why it's proven so enduringly popular in recent years however the city's
inherent charms have been severely tarnished by over tourism to the point that local officials
have been forced to suggest drastic actions in order to balance the scales first efforts are
being made to limit the number of cruise ships that dock reducing the number of day trippers
there has also been a crackdown of souvenir stands in the aim of preserving the city's authentic
character as well as a ban on new outdoor seating restaurants number five iceland while iceland was
by no means the first destination to be affected by over tourism there are few destinations more
synonymous with the concept since the term was first coined with a population of just over 355
000 people and land to spare it's the most sparsely populated country in all of europe
the combination of the rustic natural beauty diverse landscapes and geothermal activity however
has attracted travelers from far and wide to the detriment of both the local culture
and the environment a six to one ratio of tourists to residents has impacted everything from local
livelihoods to housing and driven locals to steer clear of their own natural wonders after a lengthy
break from tourism resulting from the covid19 pandemic iceland is attempting to hit the reset
button on their tourism industry the goal targeted campaigns that encourage people to visit longer
slow down and travel more of the country rather than just the highlights at the same time there
will be increased investment in infrastructure and environmental protection number four amsterdam
netherlands the capital city of the netherlands amsterdam has long been a go-to for bachelor
parties and younger travellers making it something of a mythic destination for those looking to party
locals however are tired of this reputation and the type of travelers that it attracts
especially in such overwhelming numbers as such the city and country is taking a multi-pronged
approach to change amsterdam's public image in terms of tourism campaigns there's a concerted
effort to shift attention to other parts of the country in a bid to spread tourists out
across more dutch destinations within amsterdam itself the city has banned tours of the red light
district implemented more aggressive fines for minor infractions common amongst tourists like
littering and raise the tourism tax the goal here is to promote a more respectful experience
and discourage crowds number three madrid spain spain is a beautiful and diverse country with a
whole lot to offer as such it's a real shame that travellers all seem to congregate in the same few
destinations like granada majorca and barcelona the latter city played host to a staggering
nine and a half million overnight travelers in 2019 that doesn't take into account day trippers
coming off cruise ships every day during the high season barcelona is a city where the locals
have been pushed to the brink the government is enacting policies to help combat over tourism but
the biggest change actually comes from the people themselves who have taken to the streets over the
last decade to protest against the way tourism has fundamentally changed their city as travel
opens up again it will be interesting to see how the city balances the economic need for tourism
with the well-being of residents legislation has already been put in place limiting new
hotels and regulating short-term rentals there have also been efforts to limit cruise ships
number 2 venice italy few destinations have suffered more intensely or longer from over
tourism than this iconic italian city venice is undoubtedly one of the most picturesque
historically rich and unique cities in the world its popularity makes sense but that popularity has
come at the expense of everything that makes this city so special tourist traps aren't just common
they're the rule the narrow streets are so painfully crowded that soaking up the sights is
all but impossible the damage that overtourism has done to this city both culturally and in terms
of its infrastructure is incalculable to diminish the damage done by the 20 to 30 million people who
visit each year local officials have been taking a multi-pronged approach for starters they aim to
lower the number of tourists by limiting cruise ships over a certain size an entrance tax is set
to take effect in 2022 and hefty fines should bring a sense of renewed respect to the city
embracing technology to win this war on over tourism venice has even set up a command
center to track tourist movement with the goal of continuously improving the way they handle tourism
number one korpi pile thailand if you want the tourists to go home there's really no better way
to say it than by shutting down for months on end that's exactly what happened to the world
famous maya bay beach and this was before anyone had heard the term covert 19. overtourism has
had such a negative impact on the local ecosystem that all of the core pp marine national park was
closed to the public in 2019 june 2021 was set as a tentative date to reopen maya bay beach but this
was back in 2019 and so the date has yet to be confirmed there were some talks of reopening early
to boost tourism in the wake of the pandemic but as of yet the local government is continuing to
prioritize the environmental recovery of the local area as last reported even when maya bay reopens
the number of visitors will be strictly limited to somewhere in the ballpark of 370 people at a time
considering it used to receive roughly 5 000 people every day that's a major pushback against
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