World’s most overcrowded holiday spot has over 100 tourists to every resident | Travel News | Travel

Over the course of the summer there was a plethora of news about the immense amount of overcrowding in popular European holiday spots.

The likes of Barcelona in  Spain, Santorini and Mykonos in Greece, Venice in Italy, and Dubrovnik in Croatia all experienced their fair share of ‘over-tourism’ during the summer months.

As the global tourism industry bounces back after the pandemic, many popular destinations around the world face a flock of tourists arriving constantly throughout the year, meaning they won’t be as peaceful as they once were.

This includes throngs of tourists in cities and at famous landmarks.

Last year it was reported that Edinburgh Castle was named as the world’s most overcrowded landmark. Research from MoneyTransfers.com revealed the most ‘over-touristed’ cities in the world, sharing an index of 100 cities.

The Thai island of Phuket came out on top, with a massive 118.5 tourists per one resident. Phuket is one of Thailand’s hotspots for beach getaways and is home to several of the world’s best beaches including Kata and Karon.

In fact, Thailand made up the top three cities in MoneyTransfers.com’s index, with Pattaya and Krabi boasting 98.7 and 72.2 tourists per one resident, respectively.

The rest of the top 10 most overcrowded tourist destinations included Murğla in Turkey (40.2:1), a city known for its scenic beauty, historical sites and Mediterranean flair.

The others included Hurghada, Egypt (28.2:1); Macau, China (26.9:1); Heraklion, Greece (22:1); Venice, Italy (21.3:1); Rhodes, Greece (20.3:1); and Miami, United States (18.6:1).

Jonathan Merry, resident travel expert at MoneyTransfers.com, said: “The recent devastating fires in Maui highlighted the feelings many natives to popular destinations have: a desire for tourists to stay away, especially when the land itself is at risk.

“The index below highlights just how overcrowded many cities around the world are by international visitors. Although not necessarily an unwelcome thing in many ways, it’s undeniable that this level of popularity and tourists wildly outnumbering locals can result in overcrowding and a cascade of negative effects.”

On the other hand, MoneyTransfers.com also shared the cities which are the least ‘over-touristed’ cities.

They made it into the 100 cities for international arrivals per year, but have a population size to match, so aren’t overrun with tourists. 

They included: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (first) as the least ‘over-touristed’ destination; Buenos Aires, Argentina (second); Beijing, China (third); Kolkata, India (fourth); Lima, Peru (fifth); Shanghai, China (sixth); Cairo, Egypt (seventh); Tokyo, Japan (eighth); Jakarta, Indonesia (ninth); and Delhi, India in tenth.

In September of this year, the same site revealed that the most overcrowded country in the world can actually be found in Europe.

MoneyTransfers.com shared that Austria is the most overcrowded by tourists, boasting a ratio of one resident to 3.6 tourists.

Top 10 most overcrowded cities in the world

1. Phuket, Thailand
2. Pattaya, Thailand
3. Krabi, Thailand
4. Murğla, Turkey
5. Hurghada, Egypt
6. Macau, China
7. Heraklion, Greece
8. Venice, Italy
9. Rhodes, Greece
10. Miami, United States

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