Traveling and exploring the world comes with the most enriching experiences as it introduces you to other cultures and expands your knowledge. However, too many people traveling at the same time, aka tourism, can have some terrible impacts on various wonderful holiday destinations.
Sadly, many natural wonders around the world are expected to suffer dearly as they find it hard to keep up with the immense number of regular tourists. Some are even at a great risk of being ruined for good.
Boracay, Philippines
The impact of tourism on this magnificent island was too bad that it had to be temporarily closed to visitors. According to the president of the Philippines, Boracay is going to be closed for 6 months due to its poor sewage system.
It was reported that around two hundred tourism-related businesses which were not connected to the sewage system of the island were actually throwing dirty water in the ocean.
Maya Bay, Thailand
Maya Bay has one of the most alluring clear blue waters you can ever see, in addition to perfect white beaches, and spectacular green rock formations.
But sadly, the popular tourist attraction was forced to close this year to allow the aquatic life and coral reefs to grow again.
Isle of Skye, Scotland
Isle of Skye has seen an immense influx of tourism thanks to a number of films and TV shows being shot on the island. Unfortunately, this increase in popularity had resulted in some serious problems.
The tourists’ motorized homes and other vehicles blocked up the local roads, and the issue grew so much worse that the police had to step up and tell visitors to stay away from the island unless they had an accommodation.
Also, besides overpopulation, a terrible quantity of plastic waste has ended up on the beaches.
Bhutan
Bhutan is so breathtakingly amazing that it ended up on way too many bucket lists. And the local government is aware of the terrible impact that tourism can have on this spectacular place.
Therefore, they imposed a £200-tour-guide on visitors. It’s worth mentioning that it was until the 70s that tourists were finally allowed in Bhutan. Yet, regardless of the attempts to restrict tourism, Bhutan is still suffering from pollution. This might lead to a more severe policy than the existing one.
Bali, Indonesia
Bali’s affordable lifestyle, rich culture, exquisite temples, luscious rice fields, beautiful beaches have always been attracting tourists from all over the world. However, just lately, the Indonesian island reported a serious garbage emergency, partly due to tourism.
Photos of plastic waste all over the beaches caught the world’s attention through social media, which led environmental groups and local workers to try and clean the beaches.
Pig Beach, the Bahamas
The enigmatic nature of this place is what makes it so attractive. Actually, the island is inhabited by wild pigs that have somehow got accustomed to swimming in the sea. Naturally, this has drawn an unbelievable number of tourists to this gorgeous part of the Bahamas.
Shockingly, multiple pigs were found dead last year and the tourists were to blame. It was reported that some visitors have been feeding the pigs improperly.
Cinque Terre, Italy
The wonderful bright houses on the Italian Riviera’s cliffside have been attracting more and more tourists in the past few years. The beauty of the place is really striking and anyone would naturally want to keep one or two photos of it on their Instagram.
Sadly, the tourism increase in the area has negatively affected the towns’ infrastructure and many people have been occasionally injured in landslides. So, now, many attempts are being made to reduce the amount of traffic and raise funds to protect it.
Machu Picchu, Peru
So many tourists fly to Peru every year to see the ancient Inca landmark that’s set high in the Andes. But last year, the local government established new methods in an attempt to minimize the number of visitors.
Overcrowding could actually lead to landslides and too many people walking the Inca Trail may damage it. Currently, tourists are only allowed to access the site through an official tour guide at a specific time of the day.
Venice, Italy
Venice is one of the most beautiful (and popular) tourist destinations in the world. Well, who wouldn’t want to see this city’s alluring buildings, amazing food, and gondolas? Yet, sadly, mass tourism has made locals freak out completely that 2,000 of them decided to march and protest against the terrible increase of tourism.
Actually, the high tourism pressure on this beautiful Italian city has resulted in the replacement of residents’ homes with accommodation and commercial activities, in addition to the increase of high tides caused by motor boats and the pollution caused by large cruise ships.