The tourist hotspots to AVOID in 2025 – with Mallorca, Venice, Barcelona and Bali on the experts’ list

After a summer of protests in Europe’s most popular holiday destinations against mass tourism and growing concern about the erosion of the natural environment, several places once considered desirable travel destinations have been listed as places to avoid when booking a trip .

Fodor’s Travels’ “No List 2025” includes “highly coveted tourist spots (that) are buckling under the burden of their own notoriety” and facing problems such as overcrowding and environmental stress.

Destinations on this list include an island paradise turned ‘plastic apocalypse’, a driving route in Scotland and places in Europe where the locals don’t want you.

These are the 15 places you should avoid in 2025, according to Fodor’s.

Bali

The idyllic Indonesian island known for its beautiful beaches and green landscapes has been highlighted as a top destination to avoid this year.

Fodor’s says: ‘Rapid, uncontrolled development, fueled by overtourism, is degrading Bali’s natural habitats, eroding its environmental and cultural heritage and creating a ‘plastic apocalypse’.

Barcelona

The Spanish city known for its sunshine, thriving nightlife and breathtaking and unique architecture has become so oversaturated with tourists that locals have had enough.

Over the summer, locals were seen spraying unsuspecting visitors as they dined, while tens of thousands of protesters gathered in the city center demanding tourists leave.

Fodor’s guide explains that visitors are arriving in such numbers that they are “clogging neighborhoods” and “changing the fabric of society,” adding that “a good tourism management strategy should deliver immediate improvements in the lives of locals population.’

As a result, it is best to avoid Barcelona this year, it says.

Venice

Italy’s ‘floating city’ attracts crowds of tourists every year thanks to its picturesque winding canals and striking architecture.

Just like in Barcelona, ​​the locals there don’t want tourists.

Meanwhile, local authorities have taken measures to limit the number of visitors by introducing a tourist tax.

So it might be worth reconsidering your trip to Venice this year.

Tokyo

The Japanese capital has been inundated with tourists, with Fodor pointing out that the term ‘tourist pollution’ is increasingly being used by the local media.

One of the biggest problems this has caused is an increase in domestic travel prices, as tourists stay in business hotels and then increase their prices.

Kyoto

Another Japanese tourist hotspot, Kyoto has become one of the world’s most sought-after travel destinations thanks to its wide range of Shinto shrines, Buddhist temples, palaces and gardens – some of which have become UNESCO heritage sites.

But as the guide notes, Kyoto’s ‘must-sees’ such as Arashiyama, Kiyomizudera and Fushimi Inari are not possible to ‘walk into comfortably’ because they are ‘overwhelmed by the crowds’.

Mallorca

Another Spanish destination that has earned a place on Fodor’s ‘no’ list is the sunny and scenic island of Mallorca.

Thanks to its beautiful beaches, warm temperatures and vibrant nightlife, the Mediterranean island has become particularly popular among British and German tourists.

But the pressure on local livelihoods is so great that sentiment is becoming increasingly anti-tourist.

Over the summer, anti-tourism protesters staged a series of demonstrations demanding stricter rules to control the influx of ‘low-quality’ tourists flocking to the Spanish island.

In one specific case, a hundred protesters armed with placards and placards stormed a popular party beach, telling tourists to “go home” while beachgoers enjoyed the sun.

Koh Samui

Thailand’s Koh Samui has long suffered from overtourism,’ says Fodor’s, ‘but when the new season of The White Lotus premieres in 2025, many fear what will happen to the island.

‘Experts fear that the increased traffic will worsen existing problems on the island. There are currently 200,000 tonnes of waste in a landfill out of sight of tourist sites and luxury villas, as well as fast-paced, often unregulated new construction on the mountainside.”

Mount Everest

“Everest, locally known as Sagarmatha, Chomolungma or Qomolangma, is a sacred mountain for the Sherpa community, but overtourism has negative impacts on local communities,” says Fodor’s.

“It also degrades the environment and ruins travelers’ experiences.”

Agrigento, Sicily

The city is preparing to be Italy’s Capital of Culture in 2025, which will likely mean an increase in the number of visitors, the guide says.

However, it notes that the area “faces a serious water crisis that could be further exacerbated by increasing tourism, irreversibly damaging its most precious cultural treasures and punishing permanent residents.”

Scotland North Coast 500

A surprising destination on the no list is a driving route in Scotland, which has become extremely popular over the years.

This has threatened the natural environment and become a nuisance to the local communities living around it.

‘Camping in tents or campervans is one of the most popular ways for tourists to experience the NC500, but a lack of adequate facilities, including campsites, toilets and designated chemical waste areas, is causing problems along the route.

“Wild camping on beaches, rest areas, and even on private property is common, and residents report finding scorch marks, trash, disposable grills, and even human feces in their wake,” the guide says.