Overtourism

The city is also considered one of the most beautiful places in the world

A recent study by Go2Africa named the most overcrowded destinations in the world by analysing the number of visitors and comparing them with population figures. The experts said: “This gives us a better idea of where tourism might be overcrowding local areas.”

The data revealed that Vatican City is the most overcrowded place in Europe, with “an incredible 7,709 tourists to every resident”. The experts explained that “while this ratio is extreme, it comes with context: Vatican City, based within Rome, is just 0.44 square kilometres in size and is a place of pilgrimage and cultural significance for many people around the world”.

They added that its tiny population of 882 “consists mainly of clergy, diplomats, and officials, making it unlike any typical country”.

However, tourists describe the city as “too crowded to enjoy”. On TripAdvisor, one person said: “I have never seen crowds as big. We saw approximately 1,000 people lined up outside waiting to buy tickets.

“We had booked ahead, so we thought we had skipped the queue. We had, but when you get into the Museum, you join a line of more than 1,000 people filtering through, crammed together like sheep. It’s like this for the entire visit. It’s so busy that you don’t even get a chance to stop at any of the exhibits.”

Other people said it was “horrifically crowded” when they visited. “We went to the Vatican museums and Sistine Chapel and could not believe how unbelievably crowded it was.

“There was no way to see, let alone enjoy the art. For about three hours, everyone inched forward, carried by the mass crowd.”

Why are some destinations so overcrowded?

According to experts at Tourism Analytics, one of the main factors is that “the cost of international travel has dropped in recent years, making quick trips more feasible and frequent”.

Budget airlines have kept airfare “artificially cheap,” which encourages “more weekend city-breaks and long-haul vacations”.

At the same time, “accommodations via home-sharing apps are readily available, and package tours remain inexpensive”. This affordability, combined with flexible booking platforms, has lowered barriers to travel, leading to mass tourism.

Each year, Intrepid Travel releases its Not Hot List, spotlighting a short list of lesser-known destinations that are ready to welcome more visitors over the coming year

While some destinations are creaking under the strain of too many visitors, others are actively hoping more tourists will come.

In recent years, Canary Islanders, Romans, Santorinians and even Laplandic folk have complained that overtourism is changing the way they live their lives, and for the worse. Roads are too busy; accommodation too expensive; neighbourhoods unreconigsable.

There are, however, some places that are actively hoping more people will come.

Each year, Intrepid Travel releases its Not Hot List, spotlighting a short list of lesser-known destinations that are ready to welcome more visitors in 2027. Developed using insights from Intrepid’s extensive global network of local leaders and destination experts, the list shines a light on under-the-radar alternatives and less-visited regions where travellers’ presence can have an outsized positive impact.

OPINION

The destinations on the Not Hot List are selected based on three key criteria:

(1) being less visited, with fewer visitors than comparable places

(2) demonstrating tourism readiness, with infrastructure and capacity to support more tourists

(3) new initiatives, improved connectivity, major events, launches or infrastructure developments that give travellers a compelling reason to visit in 2027.

The 2027 Not Hot List

1. Samburu National Reserve, Kenya

2. Mestia, Georgia

3. Northern Highlands, Jordan

4. Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada

5. Alonnisos, Greece

6. Dili, Timor-Leste

7. Pekoe Trail, Sri Lanka

8. Liepāja, Latvia

9. Carretera Austral, Chile

This year’s list is designed to highlight destinations that offer compelling alternatives to some of travel’s most popular experiences. Kenya’s Samburu National Reserve, for example, represents a nationwide effort to combat overtourism in some of East Africa’s busiest national parks. While Chile’s Carretera Austral provides an alternative to some of the well-trodden trails of Patagonia.

The 2027 Not Hot List also highlights countries like Timor-Leste, Latvia and Georgia, which receive fewer international visitors than their regional counterparts, as well as lesser-known regions of Jordan and Sri Lanka.

To coincide with the report, Intrepid has launched five new trips to several of the featured regions. These include the new 10-day Kenya Safari Adventure, the 16-day Wild Canada & Alaska, the 10-day Hike Sri Lanka’s Pekoe Trail, the 12-day Jordan Uncovered and the new 9-day Trek the Trans-Caucasian Trail in Georgia.

Erica Kritikides, general manager of experiences at Intrepid Travel, said: “If we want tourism to continue to be a force for good, we need to constantly rethink how and where we travel. The Not Hot List isn’t just about surfacing lesser-known places, it aims to shift the conversation and help travellers to discover new destinations where their visit can make a meaningful contribution to local communities and economies.”