1. Venice, Italy
The Global Case Study in Overtourism
I know. This one hurts.
If there is one city that defines the sustainable tourism conversation, it is Venice. The city receives millions of visitors annually, many of whom arrive by cruise ship for only a few hours. The strain on infrastructure, local housing, waste management, and daily life has been immense. Population decline among residents continues as short-term rentals replace long-term housing.
Everyone should see Venice once in their lifetime.
But Venice is also one of the clearest examples of why sustainable tourism matters.
Venice is not just a beautiful city. It is the international symbol of what happens when tourism outpaces sustainability.
UNESCO has repeatedly expressed concern about the preservation of Venice’s cultural and environmental integrity (UNESCO, n.d.).
Venice is not unsafe.
It is fragile.
Why Venice Is a Sustainable Tourism Flashpoint
- Severe overtourism
- Housing displacement
- Environmental vulnerability
- Cruise congestion (now partially regulated)
- Infrastructure strain
Venice forces the sustainable tourism conversation whether we want it or not.
Venice is famously built upon what some have called an “underwater forest” of millions of wooden posts driven deep into the marshy, oxygen-deprived clay of the lagoon. These submerged timbers petrify in the anaerobic conditions and form a permanent foundation that supports massive stone buildings, a role they have fulfilled for almost 1,000 years.
That factoid should give you an inkling of just how fragile Venice is.
How to Turn Venice Into a Sustainable Trip
If you are going to Venice:
- Stay in licensed hotels, not unregulated short-term rentals.
- Spend multiple nights, not just a day trip.
- Visit during the shoulder season.
- Eat at locally owned restaurants away from major tourist corridors.
- Respect restricted areas and preservation zones.
- Explore neighborhoods beyond San Marco.
- Do not treat Venice like a theme park.
Sustainable trips in Venice require slowing down. If you are only stopping for a few hours, you are contributing more than you are giving. A day trip is not even close to enough time to experience Venice. Taking a day to wander the island and get lost down its beautiful streets and alleyways, stopping at a local trattoria for cicchetti and a spritz when that alley unexpectedly ends at a gorgeous canal, is an awe-inspiring experience I cannot recommend enough.
So without question, absolutely visit Venice! But do so mindfully. I fear that in only a hundred years, our children and grandchildren will be visiting Venice on scuba tours.
2. Barcelona, Spain
When “Tourists Go Home” Becomes a Headline
Barcelona is vibrant, artistic, and culturally rich. It is also currently one of Europe’s most vocal cities about overtourism.
In recent years, anti-tourism protests have drawn international media attention. Graffiti reading “Tourists Go Home” has appeared in heavily visited districts. Anti-tourism protests with demonstrators unloading on dining tourists with water guns have been a highlight of newsreels. Residents of the city have expressed concern about housing affordability linked to the expansion of short-term rentals.
The issue is not that Barcelona does not want visitors. It wants sustainable tourism, not unchecked volume.
Why Barcelona Makes This List
- Anti-tourism protests
- Housing shortages linked to short-term rentals
- Cruise congestion
- Crowded historic districts
Barcelona is not rejecting tourism. It is demanding sustainable tourism.
How to Practice Sustainable Tourism in Barcelona
- Book licensed accommodations.
- Avoid illegal apartment rentals.
- Visit smaller Catalan towns.
- Explore beyond La Rambla.
- Support locally owned shops.
- Respect neighborhood life.
Sustainable trips distribute economic impact. Unsustainable tourism concentrates it.
3. Bali, Indonesia
Paradise With a Plastic Problem
Bali is one of the most photographed destinations on earth. It is also one of the clearest examples of environmental strain linked to rapid tourism growth.
With an incredible explosion in tourism due to the wave of travel influencer interest, Bali has Plastic pollution, traffic congestion, and pressure on water systems have become serious concerns (World Bank, 2021). Over the past decade, tourism to the island went from 3.8 million visitors in 2014 to 6.3 million last year. Within those numbers comes the increase in waste and the need for waste management. Indonesia is currently the second-largest contributor to marine plastic pollution, after China. Studies show that four of Indonesia’s rivers are among the 20 most polluted rivers in the world, carrying massive amounts of plastic waste into the ocean.
Sustainable tourism in Bali requires confronting the visual contrast between curated Instagram posts and real infrastructure limitations.
Why Bali Is on This List
- Plastic pollution
- Traffic congestion
- Tourists’ disregard for cultural taboos
- Waste management challenges
- Water resource strain
- Agricultural loss
- Cultural commodification
How to Make Bali a Sustainable Trip
- Stay in eco-certified properties.
- Reduce single-use plastics.
- Avoid wildlife exploitation venues.
- Research and respect cultural norms
- Respect temple dress codes.
- Travel beyond the most viral locations.
Sustainable tourism in Bali means engaging with the culture, not consuming it. While the Indonesian government is taking drastic steps to address this issue, it is very important for us, as visitors, not to make the problem worse.
Fortunately, over the last few years, many organizations like Sungai Watch, R.O.L.E. Foundation, and Wasted Collective have been providing volunteer cleanup services to tackle plastic pollution.
Sustainable trips in Bali require responsibility beyond Instagram.
4. Dubrovnik, Croatia
A Medieval City in the Streaming Age
Dubrovnik’s Old Town was not designed for modern visitor volumes. After global exposure through film and television, the surge in tourist arrivals intensified seasonal crowding. If you didn’t already know, Dubrovnik is most famous as the primary filming location for King’s Landing in HBO’s Game of Thrones. Other major productions filmed in the city include Star Wars: The Last Jedi and the 2018 adaptation of Robin Hood.
A study titled “Overtourism in Dubrovnik in the eyes of local tourism employees: A qualitative study” found that cruise ships are the main problem-makers, and the interviewees prefer tourists who stay overnight.
The city has implemented visitor management systems to preserve heritage infrastructure (UNESCO, n.d.).
Dubrovnik is a textbook example of how filming locations can become victims of their own visibility.
Why Dubrovnik Makes This List
- Overtourism
- Cruise congestion
- Heritage preservation strain
- Seasonal overcrowding
Sustainable tourism here means respecting preservation over convenience. Dubrovnik’s beauty has always drawn visitors, but the Old Town’s medieval walls were not designed for modern crowd volumes.
Currently, Dubrovnik is actively managing tourism through visitor caps and scheduling adjustments.
How to Visit Dubrovnik Sustainably
- Stay overnight.
- Visit outside peak season.
- Explore lesser-known coastal towns.
- Avoid overcrowded time slots.
- Support businesses outside the Old Town.
- Respect preservation rules.
Sustainable trips allow history to endure. Sustainable tourism allows it to endure for generations to come. Sustainability in Dubrovnik means recognizing that Croatia, the city of Dubrovnik, and its many rich heritage sites are not just backdrops for that perfect set-jetting selfie.
5. Machu Picchu, Peru
When Preservation Requires Restriction
Machu Picchu is heavily regulated, and it’s heavily regulated for a very good reason. I am going to attempt to explain this one without getting myself upset. I went to college for and am incredibly passionate about archaeology. So, this particular entry on the list is like an exposed nerve for archaeologists worldwide. The same goes for the Pyramids, but that is another rant, probably best not to have another time.
Machu Picchu is one of the world’s most iconic archaeological sites. It draws millions of tourists every year, and with that come some much-needed preservation.
Timed or staggered entry systems, visitor capacity limits, and controlled walking paths are in place to prevent erosion and general damage and, consequently, preserve the site. (UNESCO, n.d.).
These measures are not inconveniences. They are sustainable tourism in action.
Why Machu Picchu Is on This List
- Archaeological fragility
- Environmental sensitivity
- Cultural commodification
- Strict visitor limits
- Extinction concerns for local flora and fauna
- Trail erosion concerns
Sustainable trips to Machu Picchu mean accepting that preservation comes first. Machu Picchu is considered one of the New 7 Wonders of the World, and archaeologists are still uncovering many things about the site. So, dealing with the impact of modern tourism on the site while trying to figure out what happened a thousand years ago is, to say the least, difficult.
Honestly, working at a functional tourist site is a nightmare for archaeologists. While we want to share the information with you, we may also point you in the opposite direction to avoid disturbing any sensitive artifacts in situ. Sorry, but it is a necessary evil. There is more than one tale of archaeologists returning to a site to conduct research, only to find it has been raided by tourists or others seeking souvenirs and “treasures”.
How to Approach Machu Picchu Sustainably
- Follow all entry rules.
- Only purchase official tickets
- Hire licensed guides.
- Stay on marked paths.
- Never touch restricted structures.
- Never feed the domesticated or wild animals
- Respect all rules and codes of conduct.
Sustainable tourism at Machu Picchu is not optional. It is enforced. It is up to visitors to the site to understand and adhere to local regulations and customs. If you are planning a visit to the Inca citadel, check out the official Code of Conduct and the official government website for Machu Picchu for tickets.
The Places No One Mentions (But Should)
If we expanded this list, strong contenders for other destinations that need sustainable tourism would include:
- Santorini, Greece (overtourism and cruise congestion)
- Amsterdam, Netherlands (anti-tourism campaigns and housing strain)
- Reykjavik, Iceland (infrastructure stress relative to population size)
- Tulum, Mexico (overdevelopment and environmental strain)
It is not that these destinations are unsafe. All of these fit the list because they are simply oversaturated with tourism.
Sustainable tourism is the difference between visiting and overwhelming.
Sustainable Tourism Is Not Anti-Travel
Here is the paradox:
The title says “places you shouldn’t visit.”
But sustainable tourism is not about avoidance. It is about awareness.
Let’s be clear. The solution is not to stay home. The goal is not to eliminate travel; the goal is to elevate it.
Travel exposes individuals to new cultures, experiences, and different perspectives, fostering empathy, open-mindedness, and cognitive growth. I believe everyone should travel whenever they possibly can.
In addition, tourism supports millions of jobs worldwide and plays a critical role in local economies (UNWTO, n.d.).
So the solution isn’t to refrain from visiting or experiencing these amazing places. The solution is sustainable tourism.
Sustainable tourism looks like:
- Smaller group sizes
- Observing environmental and cultural guidelines
- Licensed accommodations
- Local business support
- Visiting secondary cities and destination dupes
- Seasonal awareness
- Respect for cultural norms
- Avoiding illegal rentals
- Avoiding restricted areas
- Leaving places cleaner than you found them
Sustainable tourism is not complicated, but it requires intention; it is not perfection, but it is participation in the solutions.
It also means being self-aware as a traveler.
A Self-Aware Note From a Travel Company
As a travel company, we are aware of the irony.
Yes, we promote travel.
Yes, we design itineraries.
Yes, we take people to iconic destinations.
But sustainable tourism for us is not a marketing trend. It is a structural necessity and is the only model that makes sense long term.
That means we practice what we preach and design all our trips to be sustainable trips.
