This is an article we’ve been wanting to write for a while now. It’s not a new topic, we’ve actually come across it a couple times over the last few years. But lately, it is jumping out at us more and more. You could call it, the latest ‘travel trend’, but it’s more like an epidemic. The ‘bucket list’ epidemic that is.
What is the ‘bucket list’ epidemic you ask? The concept is that prominent tourist destinations are becoming so popular that the economy, environment and culture associated with the property are starting to become compromised.
Tourism hit an all time high with over 1.3 billion international travelers in 2017 and is showing no signs of slowing.
Source – Data.WorldBank
Over the last couple decades, the growing middle class and it’s urge to see the world has stared to take a toll. There are also several additional factors that have contributed to this ‘effect’ over the years, including climate change, an overall increase in the world’s population and the ever growing bargain travel industry, as well as the more recent, and very obvious, rise of social media (more specifically Instagram).
What Have We Heard?
During our attendance at the Travel & Adventure Show in Boston back in February, the idea was introduced by Pauline Frommer in her presentation ‘Spend Less, See More: Strategies for Creating Dream Vacations in All Price Ranges’. Pauline is the Editorial Director of the Frommer’s Guides and Publisher of Frommers.com, so she’s a solid resource for these kinds of things, and she covered ALOT of ground in her one hour presentation. One of her main points addressed the fact that there are many popular tourist destinations that are so popular they have become overrun! A concept I’m not sure many of us could fathom as a possibility.
Even more recently, Airbnb published an article called ‘Endangered Destinations’ in their bi-monthly magazine. [This is a magazine we receive as Airbnb hosts. If you’re interested, you can subscribe here.] The six page article by Rachel Chang highlights the various reasons certain beloved tourism spots are going endangered:
- overtourism
- coral bleaching
- overdevelopment
- pollution
- rising tempratures
- rising seas
Chang goes on to list seven ‘bucket list’ destinations that are affected by each of the causes listed above. It’s clear to see that there are two major categories here: anthropogenic activity and climate change (which, depending on who you talk to, can ultimately be considered anthropogenic as well).
Affected Destinations
Here are a few of the more popular destinations on her list:
- Barcelona, Spain
- Galapagos Islands, Ecuador
- Amazon, Brazil
- Florida Everglades, Florida
- Stonehenge, England
In an attempt to try and regulate the amount of tourists flooding these sites, places like the Taj Mahal (India) and Machu Picchu/Inca Trail (Peru) have started limiting the number of guests to each location on a daily basis. The former, apparently had a limit of 2,500 people per day set by UNESCO, which was not maintained. Other places, like Venice (Italy) have started discussing handing out fines to tourists caught sitting in designated areas. Another famous Italian attraction, Cinque Terre is said to have installed pedometers along the trails connected it’s five villages to monitor foot traffic and shut down once a set limit has been reached.
And then there’s Maya Bay (from the movie The Beach), which has apparently been closed down to visitors indefinitely. Or the Icelandic canyon that has been inundated by Justin Bieber followers and as a result is undergoing seasonal closures to allow it to recover from severe trampling.
Even our beloved sand bar we currently call home is at risk! The Outer Banks in North Carolina is also listed by some websites due to the continuous occurrence of sand erosion.
The United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) also has it’s own, ever growing list of properties deemed ‘World Heritage in Danger‘. This list now includes a combination of natural and cultural heritage sites, 54 properties in total, from around the world that are in need of corrective action.
Other Examples
Interestingly, this not only applies to properties but also to certain species, an industry known as ‘extinction tourism’. Species like polar bears and Galapagos tortoises for example draw a significant number of wide eyed tourists to their home bases each year. This type of tourism however, ultimately affects the properties and communities where these species are located (ie. the Arctic and Galapagos Islands).
One of the smaller scale examples that comes to mind, is the story of the sunflower farm that shut down as a result of and influx of visitors in a matter of hours just outside Toronto, Ontario last July (2018). It’s said that the small farm saw nearly 7,000 visitors on that faithful day. The unfortunate cause of the shutdown is said to have been the blatant disregard of several individuals who arrived on site. From risking personal safety, to public indecency and lack of accountability for property damage, this story is a micro version of what some of the world’s greatest sights are exposed to regularly.
Are we Guilty?
Absolutely! We were a little surprised to see some of these ‘bucket list’ epidemic destinations on the list ourselves. As budget travel bloggers and eco-minded marine biologists with a lust for these beautiful destinations, this is both a frustrating and heart breaking revelation. But it’s kind of a catch 22 right? How do you tell people they need to stop visiting these places for risk of destroying them and not expect people to rush there and see it before it’s gone?
Here are the destinations that have been deemed ‘endangered’ that we’ve traveled to:
- Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Grand Canyon, Arizona
- New York City, New York
- Charleston, South Carolina
- Barcelona, Spain
AND we are in the process of planning a trip to Costa Rica. So we definitely are guilty of contributing to the trend, because let’s be honest, we want to see all the sites too! But ultimately, if we want to continue to visit these places, there are some considerations each and every one of us need to make to attempt to minimize our impacts on these largely visited destinations.
Traveling Sustainably
All of this being said, there is hope! So what can we do to reduce our footprint when traveling? A good place to start is thinking green and being mindful overall when you travel. Ultimately, the goal is to leave a positive impact on the local community, environment and economy.
Think Green
- book direct flights
- using public transportation or travel by bicycle
- adopt a zero-waste lifestyle
- reef-safe sunscreen alternatives
- use trash bins
- travel with a reusable straw
Be Mindful
- visit in the off-season
- support local businesses
- consider slow travel
- stay on designated paths
- be accountable
Next, we need to start entertaining new locations to visit, discovering alternatives that are just as good. And so it goes, we need to stop lusting after everyone else’s experiences and starting to create our own.
“By searching for ways to be more respectful of local communities, we’re also more likely to discover authentic experiences.”
Kelley Louise, Founder of Impact Travel Alliance
Overvisited Sights vs. Comparable Gems
In part, it comes down to finding comparable alternatives. During her presentation at the Travel and Adventure Show, Pauline Frommer posted a slide with known, overtourism destinations mirrored by her recommendations for alternatives, sort of a ‘try this, not that’ approach.
Avoid These ———————————- Try These
Cinque Terre & Amalfi Coast —————– Basilicata & Puglia
Barcelona —————————- Girona, Figueres, Roses
Costa Rica ————————— Belize or Panama
Iceland ——————————– Faroe Islands
Maya Bay —————————– Similan Islands
Bali ————————————– Komodo
Machu Picchu ————————— Choquequirao
Dubrovnik ——————————— Rovijn
Great Barrier Reef ———————— Ningaloo Reef
We realize, this is somewhat of a heavy topic, but we’ve come out inspired and open to suggestion on how to better our own tourism practices. What are your thoughts on the bucket list epidemic and endangered destinations?
Other resources:
Check out our Sustainable Travel board on Pinterest.
https://www.hipmunk.com/tailwind/endangered-destinations-go-before-theyre-gone/
https://www.smartertravel.com/
Well articulated, thank you saying this. I think many of us are guilty in some aspects, and certainly the world shouldn’t be shut down for tourism, but mindful tourism can make a huge difference.
Thanks Stephanie! To be completely honest, we were hesitant to push the ‘publish’ button with the content as it is, but are glad we did. We truly believe that it’s important for each and every traveler to truly consider what type of impact they may have on the location they are visiting. We are glad you enjoyed the article!
This is really interesting! With more people traveling it makes sense that these popular spots would become overrun. We try to avoid the highly popular spots when we travel. The off the beaten path spots tend to be cheaper and a little more “real.”
Hi Becki! Absolutely love and agree with your travel style. It’s a method we need to learn to adapt as a whole population. Happy travels!
Wow, what an important topic! I love your tips to become more mindful and will surely think about that more in my travel planning!
Thanks for stopping by Kate! Always glad to inspire and stimulate thought. Be sure to spread the word to your traveling friends as well!
I had never thought of this but it makes perfect sense. There are so many amazing places in the world that I understand wanted to see them but we must work hard to protect these special places. It is difficult to visit popular tourist destinations as the crowds can ruin some of the appeal.
Hi Colleen! Yes, absolutely! Individual consideration for personal impacts when visiting these sites is crucial. It’s time to start discovering new, less inundated places.
I hadn’t heard of the term “Sustainable Travel” before, but it makes a lot of sense! I love how insightful you two are and how you covered such an important topic!
XOXO
Kat
http://www.indierella.com
Thanks Kat! Truly appreciate your comment 🙂 The whole concept is relatively new to us as well. It’s an unfortunate truth of popular travel but we can work together to try to minimize our overall impact.
Wow! To be honest I’ve never thought too much about endangered destinations. This is definitely eye opening, and great tips to travel more sustainably!
xoxo A
http://www.southernbelleintraining.com
Hey Annaliese! It’s not something we had thought much about ourselves until recently which motivated us to spread the word. Glad you enjoyed the read!
I like that you provided alternative destinations to go to. The Grand Canyon is one of my favorite places but it is a catch 22. I don’t want to contribute to destroying it.
Thanks for stopping by Marette! We’re glad you enjoyed the read. It’s an unfortunate truth of popular travel and definitely a hard pill to swallow for some of these sights. We just need to work together to try to minimize our overall impact.
I appreciated your list of alternative sites that offered similar experiences. That was great information.
Hey there Georgia Family Adventures! Thanks for stopping by. We are quite curious about the alternative sites as well. Hopefully we get the opportunity to report back on how they compare.
This is such a great article. Something I never really thought about until last summer when the sunflower farm in Ontario had to shut down because of people destroying it. I’ve also witnessed it first hand at the Grotto near Tobermory. I’ve been visiting the area my entire life and have seen such a change in tourism up there. And not for the best – you would think more people would mean more support for smaller businesses, but people that visit don’t spend money there, they bring their own food. We went scuba diving at the Grotto and witnessing the amount of garbage that just gets thrown in the water is really disappointing.
Thanks Mar! We’ve never been to the Grotto near Tobermory (have always wanted to go) but it sounds/looks just like the type of place that has the potential to become endangered. We have to try to do our part, both in preserving it and spreading the word about leaving these beautiful sights just as we found them.
Wow I wasn’t aware of all of this. Thanks for sharing this important information.
Hi Jasmine! It’s a pretty shocking bit of information. Always happy to share!
This is really interesting information!
Thanks for stopping by Amberly! We’re always glad to provide food for thought 🙂
What a great topic! I never thought about endangered spots before. I try to go to the places not visited a lot. I don’t like plan trips when I traveling because I want to discover that rare place that no one visits.
Thanks aisasami! We hadn’t really put much thought into it either until we wrote this post. It’s all about the path less travelled by 😉
Great suggestions on lesser known places to visit, and we also try to minimize our footprint when we travel.
Thanks for stopping by Margie! We’re very curious about the alternative destinations ourselves and how comparable they are. Glad to hear you are making an effort to reduce your impact!
This is so interesting to read and so so true!!! I love the alternatives to the popular spots! So helpful.
Thanks for stopping by Ilana! We’re glad you enjoyed the read. It’s an unfortunate truth of popular travel but we can work together to try to minimize our overall impact.
It’s so upsetting that we’re endangering all these wonderful cultural spots! I’m glad you recommended some tips to help reduce our damage and offered some alternative places to travel as well!
xo
Sami
The Classic Brunette
Hi Sami! Yes, it is a pretty interesting concept that we dive into here. It’s a very unfortunate truth of popular travel but we can work together to try to minimize our overall impact. Glad you found our suggestions helpful!
I’m glad you recommended these alternative options. I still need to put together a bucket list for traveling. I’m about to be in my late 20s and have barely done any traveling haha. I’ll keep this post in mind.
Hi Tia! Our ‘bucket list’ definitely includes some of the ‘black listed’ destinations but we are looking forward to including the listed alternatives as well. Your chance will come 😉 Happy travels!
This is such a thought provoking post! I’m definitely going to save it for later, very well written!
Thank you Katie!! We are pretty proud of it. A little nervous at first as we thought it might be considered a little controversial but it’s been really well received and we are glad to see how receptive people have been. Check back any time 🙂
This is really interesting! I wasn’t aware of this and I’m curious to look in those places that you suggested trying instead of the usual places we commonly hear of. Thank you for sharing!
Thanks for stopping by Ro! We are equally as curious about checking out these alternatives and look forward to visiting each of them some day. Happy to share 🙂
This is so true. At the moment, I don’t feel like going to Maccu Pichu, NYC, Galapagos, Iceland, Porto, Lisbon, and some other cities in Europe because too many people went there and wrote about it. I saw it everyday! I was happy I haven’t seen post or pictures of Cinque Terre for a couple of weeks but it’s coming back. 😭 Not that I don’t want to visit those places, but I will wait for several years. It’s time to explore off beaten path. 80% to 20% popular destinations.
That’s a great approach Umiko, the 80/20. We see the same thing day in and out on IG – Bali, Costa Rica, Amsterdam…Don’t get us wrong, they are beautiful looking places, but we have no doubt there are some hidden gems out there still 😉
I love reading posts on this topic – I’ve seen a lot recently on IG about geotagging. I love your approach to it as well. Public places are there for everyone to see and I’m not going to try to tell people they can’t go there or try to hide them from others, but education on traveling sustainably and leaving less of an impact is so important. Thanks so much for this post!
Absolutely Shannon! It’s all about education and adapting sustainable travel methods. Thanks for stopping by!
This is really interesting and so important to think about when planning travel. I love that you provided some sustainable travel tips in this post. Thanks for sharing this!
Thanks Lecy! We couldn’t agree more in that it all comes down to the planning. Taking the time to research how alternatives and minimizing your impact can go a long way.
What an eye opening post! Thanks for sharing – you’ve made me think about my future travel plans! xx
You bet Liz! It isn’t an easy pill to swallow but we’ve got to spread the word and work together to keep these sights alive for generations to come. Have travels!
Wow, this is not something I’ve thought about. It’s a hard balance because we want people to see these incredible sights – most of them are bucket list locations for a reason. But we also don’t want to lose them! I love your tips for traveling a little more green.
Thanks for stopping by Becky! So glad to provide some food for thought. You are 100% correct that it isn’t an easy concept to adapt, but every little effort we make to minimize our impact helps 😉
This is important and interesting to know the pros and cons of what tourism can do. Tourism is a thriving industry that we need to grow the economy but not at the cost of endangering the beauty and very geography of that place. As I love traveling, I make sure we do follow some basic rules like Leave no trace and other. Thank you for sharing this post.
Heena
https://travelandhikewithpcos.com/2019/03/07/must-visit-places-at-mount-rainier-national-park/
Yes Heena! It’s definitely a trick balance. The ‘leave no trace’ rule is a GREAT one to live by when traveling. Thanks for dropping in and happy traveling!