'It used to be such a peaceful little place' – tales of overtourism from our readers' travels
As international tourism continues to boom, many destinations around the world are struggling to cope with their own popularity. We have been following the story closely this year in a new film series, and visited Venice, Dubrovnik and Skye at the height of summer to capture just how serious the issue of 'overtourism' has become in these popular holiday destinations.
But what have you witnessed on your holidays?
Here our readers share stories from their travels, highlighting the most overcrowded spots, the quieter destinations they've discovered, and some ideas on how to address the growing problem.
Overtourism in the UK
The Scottish Highlands
“Experienced it first hand on a visit home to UK as a 'tourist' last year - Eilean Donan castle in Kyle of Lochalsh absolutely stuffed and later Hever Castle in Kent. Being herded through like cattle with no time or space to enjoy these historic buildings was awful, paying high entry fees for the experience left a bitter taste.” Sheelagh Richards
“I went home to Scotland to August, and travelled up to Poolewe. The roads were very busy with massive luxury coaches, campervans and caravans. Places like Eilean Donan castle were packed. Single track roads with passing places on Mull and Skye are now very stressful to negotiate, and cruise liners emptying in little ports like Stromness in the Orkneys are a real problem.” Paul Reilly
The Cotswolds
"I spent a day at Bourton-on-the-Water in the Cotswolds during the summer. It used to be such a peaceful little place thirty years ago, with the grassy banks of the Windrush River, the little bridges and the honey-coloured houses. But the river banks are now standing room only, and an entire field has been given over to a vast carpark to cater for the overspill from the council carparks." Ken Barrett
Oxford
“I went to my godson's graduation in Oxford last year and we had to walk in the road to avoid the tourists. My 14-year old daughter was especially (and naively!) upset that the 'Harry Potter tree' in New College quad was surrounded by them. Still, the college were happily charging for entry / tours, as was Balliol where we were destined (presumably other colleges were too), so someone sees a benefit.” James the Wise
Where to avoid the crowds in the UK
Instead of Cornwall, go to Northumberland
“My young family and I spent a wonderful week in Northumberland in July. The weather was excellent (rare for the UK) and we visited lots of great places including beaches, castles and Hadrian’s Wall. I was surprised how quiet it was, even on the weekend at Hadrian’s Wall for a English Heritage event. Very different from places like Cornwall at the same time of year. I would argue that Northumberland has just as much to offer as Cornwall, but it is a long way from London and not ‘trendy’.” Richard Muckleston
Instead of Bourton-on-the-water, go to Cirencester
“Overtourism is a myth. Yes there are some destinations where the tourists overrun the locals, but there are far more places where there are no tourists - often just a few miles down the road. Look at the Cotswolds right here in England. Go to Stow-on-the-Wold, Bourton-on-the-Water, Burford, Bibury - you can't move for tourists. Go a few miles down the road to (for instance) Cirencester, a beautiful market town, where it's 'spot the tourist' not fall over the tourist. Just don't follow the crowd.” Stephen Tye
Instead of Cambridge, go to Ely or Peterborough
“Give King's College chapel, Cambridge a wide berth and head for Ely and Peterborough cathedrals.” A P Norman
Overtourism in Europe
Amsterdam
"Living now in Belgium, I frequently travel to Amsterdam for business reasons and the crowds and sheer squalor evident when walking from the central station up to Dam square has to be experienced to be believed, the drunkenness and appalling behaviour from the "hen weekend" crowd has now completely destroyed what was once a lovely cultural city. Brussels, Ghent, Bruges are all equally over crowded with badly behaved tourists.” Alan White
Positano, Italy
“I live in Positano, Italy and this year has been a really tough one with the sheer quantity of tourists from Easter right through to mid-October. Gridlocked roads turn a half-hour journey to work into a two-hour ordeal. Tour buses get blocked on tight bends and tourists in hire cars that stop wherever they want, hanging out the window to get a photo. We’ve been turned away from our favourite restaurants because they have to feed the tourists and have no room for locals. We have stopped using the car for about five months a year to keep a roadside parking space. Walking down the only alleyway that leads to the beach is now a heaving mass of bodies, locals have started using the sewer service road instead to avoid the crowds. The town was originally a small fishing village and is straining under the weight of all these visitors. A lot of locals have been shocked by the amount of drunken tourists wandering around lost in the middle of the night, climbing walls, knocking on doors. People are earning well but the town is suffering. It’s basically become an Instagram bucket list tick off.” H L Storey
Tavira, the Algarve
“Tavira, in the eastern Algarve, was a beautiful, and relatively unspoilt city, until about three years ago. It has now been completely swamped by cars and people. Some are tourists, but many are Swedes lured to live in Portugal by tax free pensions, French escaping punitive taxation in France, and Chinese, who for €1 million, can buy a Portuguese passport! It is not as simple as excess tourism, but the result is the same, and I have left.” Ann Hedonia
Rome
“Just returned from Rome, the so-called low season, was horrified at the crowds like the underground in rush hour all day. Did not enjoy or wish to return, I did not pay silly money to jump the queues which is just a con. People place disgustingly filthy rubbish everywhere and all the potholed streets need repairing. €30/€40 to go in most buildings yet in villages free or request €2/€3 donation and no crowds.” Russell Ellis
What can we do to solve the problem?
Virtual tourism
“Perhaps the answer is virtual tourism. You can sit in your lounge, strap on your virtual reality headset and travel the world. The food might not be authentic though.” Graham Hall
“Maybe if in a few years we have access to very life-like VR [virtual reality] technology, then we'd be able to see places like we were really there without leaving our homes.” Kaptain Khaos
Tourist tax
“The so -called over-tourism issue can be easily fixed by charging a tourist tax. How many tourists will visit Venice if the tax is €200/day?” Jean Ionesco
“Tourism taxes seem to be an excellent 'good tax'. Tourists are obviously rich enough to pay such a tax. It'll bring in income for the host, cash to repair damage - and have a braking effect on the numbers of tourists.” John Marks
Take to the waters
"Without trying to be elitist if you want to avoid mass tourism you have to go somewhere that is either too expensive or too difficult to get to for most people. To which end, after a lifetime of sailing, I finally got my RYA day skippers licence and maritime radio operators certificate just in order to be able to charter yachts more easily. Next year we are chartering, with some like minded friends to share costs, and sailing to places that have minimal infrastructure and little or no land access." Ford Prefect
Tourism rationing
“Consider gap years, cheap flights and weekend breaks, some people are travelling many times a year. Travel is good in many ways but perhaps we need some way of "rationing" the privilege.” Graham Palmer
Just stay away
“It seems that the biggest favour we can do for places like Venice is to stay away.” I Girvan
Have you witnessed 'overtourism' on your holidays this year? Comment below to join the conversation.