Overtourism has been making an appearance in the media. Many tourist hot spots have become super saturated with selfie stick wielding package tourists. Places like Venice, Dubrovnik and Barcelona have become inundated with tourists to the exasperation of many locals.There are ways to enjoy travel and have an authentic experience.
More...
So What!...
It is a legitimate problem for locals as it drives up their cost of living, housing prices and quality of life for locals is diminished. Hardware shops are displaced by cafes and furniture shops replaced by tour companies.
Its not just locals that despair at this phenomenon, travelers that seek a pensive moment on a rocky overhand in the wilderness arrive to find a flock of Instagram post seekers posturing to share their fresh pixels to social media. If you are seeking meaningful experience, where we can meet local people in an authentic way or enjoy the scenery peacefully or stand back and appreciate culture and architecture, a herd of smartphone clutching tourists following flag wielding tour guides make many places now disappointing.
There are ways to enjoy travel and not feel like the destination is an extension of the airport lounge. The are still equally amazing places and way to appreciate nature, architecture, culture and the locals in a meaningful calm way.
Mona Lisa - Art appreciation or bragging rights?
1. Burn Calories
Cycling and walking tours – require effort even if it is just for a couple of hours. Burning calories and leave the crowds behind. The farther and longer you hike or cycle, generally the less crowded it gets. There are exceptions to this; a Game of Thrones tour of Dubrovnik or the Inca Trail are not trips that are going to leave crowds eating your dust but a 5 day trek through northern Laos and you are not going to be dodging oncoming selfie seekers. Throw a hill or two in there and disconnect from social media and you’ll find the world is not such a crowded place. We were in Costa Rica last Christmas and there were about 6 cars in front lined up to pay the entry fee. About 4 of the 6 did a U turn and left. When we asked the attendant why, he replied "they didn't want to walk the 2km through the forest. They just wanted to drive". See post Wildlife Park Walks of Costa Rica.
2. Off the Shoulder
Go in the off season or even shoulder season. Most places experience spikes in tourism throughout the year. Hotspots swell up to 10 fold in busy seasons compared to low season. So weigh up the pluses of seeing a super hot spot at it’s finest with a gazillion other people, complete with lines ups for photo ops or go when the weather is not so favourable but you can actually see Gaudi’s Sagrada Familia in Barcelona through the crowds. Sometimes it is worth heeding the seasonal tides of visitors. My son was recently in Nepal when the monsoon season arrived. The streets flowed 6 to 10 deep with rainwater for 2 weeks. But many destinations are glad to see tourist dollars in the off season when their income otherwise slows down.
3. Storm Chasing
Follow the screaming, as they say in Jurassic Park. In 2005 we went to Thailand 3 months after the Tsunami that devastated SE Asian coastlines. We made our way out to Phi Phi Island and we were the only tourists there. The boat rentals and vendors were waiting for the tourists to return as they rebuilt their lives and economy. The accommodation was dirt cheap and we hired a long tail boat one day and went to Phi Phi Li which was recently closed due to over-tourism damage. We had the island to ourselves for a while. After civil unrest, natural disasters and political turmoil tourism drops off in a large radius around problem spots. Often the problem areas are quite isolated. Do your homework and take care but tourist operators suffer when tourists get scared away by media hype.
Phi Phi Island all to ourselves after the Tsunami
4. The quieter alternatives
Find the alternative destinations to the well-worn tourist traps. They are usually cheaper, friendlier and you are more likely to have a more meaningful experience.
Rush hour on the summit of the Lares Trek to Machu Picchu, Peru
Lazy Beach - a short 1km hike from the Saracen Bay on Koh Rong Sanloem, Cambodia
Hike the pristine coast of Vancouver Island and have it all to yourself.....and your dog
5. Not yet on the well-worn track
- Laos is natural wonderland. Cheap, super friendly and very lightly visited. It is a landlocked lush country of spectacular beauty. The people are super friendly and unlike Cambodia it has good infrastructure. The streets are clean and they have 95% literacy rates. There a lots of temples, fabulous hiking, kayaking and cycling. We recently completed a 5 day hike and kayak trip in northern Laos. Read about it here.
- Myanmar (Burma) has only recently opened up to tourism. It is in the news a lot for its treatment of the Rohinga minority group, but this is isolated to the western Rakhine state. As a new destination and bad press Myanmar is still lightly visited, despite having tons to offer. Temples, trekking, diving and an authentic cultural experience are its big appeal. Right next to the tourist weary Thailand, Myanmar is an adventure tourist must see.
- Nicaragua has a fraction of the tourist numbers as its southern neighbour, Costa Rica, and the same natural features. It’s a fantastic destination for hiking, cycling, diving and surfing. It has wonderful colonial architecture and costs a lot less than Costa Rica. It is a little more sketchy traveling there at present due to some political tension but the tourist spots are largely unaffected. If you like a beach without having to share with a mass of humanity or enjoy tropical hikes without the heavy entry fees, go soon as tourism is growing steadily.
- Uzbekistan is a little known gem. It is at the western end of the silk road. If you love mosaic, you will love Uzbekistan. Many of the palaces and mosques have been renovated since separation from the Soviet Union and they are nothing short of spectacular. There is great hiking and many trekking companies include luggage courier by horse. The cycling is also a great way to see the country. This is a fast emerging destination complete with friendly people and vast stunning scenery.
Tunisia was the location for the first Star Wars movie so think sandy desert and warm beaches, without the crowds of southern Spain. Its not all sand and sea, Tunisia has some great hiking trails through hills, canyons and lakes. Its also the birthplace of the Arab Spring and it has had some political turbulence since, but this should not affect you as a traveler.
- Botswana is a wildlife wonderland. A lesser known landlocked country in southern Africa, north of South Africa, it has a plethora of wildlife. From wet marshes, savannah and desert the variety of ecosystems is its key to biodiversity. Like most big game destinations, hiking and cycling are not popular due to the likelihood of being eaten by said wildlife. But unlike many of the better known African nations it lacks the crowds and is more affordable.
- Montenegro is nestled plum in the middle of the western Adriatic complete with a good helping of the signature turquoise coastline. Mountains rise dramatically from the sea providing a dramatic backdrop to the medieval architecture. Inland Montenegro offers hiking at its best. The very name is said to be due to the forests being so densely vegetated that they appeared black. It is still off the beaten track but I fear not for long.
- Nepal is a mecca for hikers and mountaineers. Although home to Everest Nepal has so much more for we more modest adventure seekers. Hiking is the number one industry of Nepal and there are a multitude of landscapes to explore most of which don’t require altitude acclimatization. It has rich wildlife safari trails and guides and porters abound. The culture is And its cheap and there are surprisingly few tourists.
- Hungary – in eastern Europe is an architectural and foodie bonanza. It also has some great hiking. Hungary and in particular Budapest are fast making it onto the well-worn tourist trail. Time to go before its overrun. Budapest boasts an extraordinary diversity of architecture, food and over 120 thermal hot springs. Just outside Budapest the tourists thin out and there is some great hiking around Europe’s largest fresh water lake, Lake Balaton. And did I mention cycling in Hungary is a perfect way to see the country without the crowds. There are tons of cycle trails of all types and difficulty. See https://www.bikemap.net/en/l/719819/
6. Early birds
Its still possible to enjoy those Instagram icons but you have to get up early, before the tour buses eave the all-inclusives. It is more often than not the best time of day to see many places as the light is sharp for photography, local wildlife is active and the day is fresh. You can get the feeling its all for you. Many tourists are on vacation and revel in sleeping in on their annual holiday. Beat the rush and get up early.
Travel has never been easier or cheaper. This is a double edged sword. Cheap tickets and convenient travel options have made experiencing the world available to more and more people. It is no longer the domain of the aristocratic well shod classes. This has meant that many quaint little holiday hideouts have become like Las Vegas. Don't despair! It is a big world and there are plenty of other endearing spots not yet in the glossy magazines. It means you have to look a little further and stay ahead of the crowd.
