Avoid booking a flight to these locations next year (Image: Getty)
are being warned over 15 ‘do not visit’ next year.
While there are plenty of airline and package holiday sales running online right now, it may be tempting to book a getaway for the new year.
However, travellers have been visiting these ‘no-go’ areas, including popular tourist hotspots.
This is according to English travel guide producer who have shared its list of places to avoid in 2025, with some destinations being closer to home.
The travel guide was compiled based on “highly coveted tourist spots [that] are collapsing under the burden of their own prominence”, with overtourism being one of the main factors.
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Scotland’s North Coast 500 made the list (Image: Getty)
Editors at Fodor said: “These places are popular for good reason – they’re beautiful, fascinating, and culturally significant. But some of these sought-after tourist spots are buckling under the weight of their own fame.”
Some of the destinations include Italy, Spain and Japan. However, one location in Scotland is also on the list.
The team explained: “But we do believe that acknowledging the problem is the first step towards solving it. The No List serves to highlight those destinations where tourism is putting unsustainable pressure on the environment and local communities.”
Scotland’s North Coast 500, a beautiful 516-mile route, made the 12th spot on the list. Not only does the area highlight the country’s rich history, it features coastal views through the likes of Wester Ross, Sutherland, Caithness, Easter Ross, the Black Isle and Inverness-shire.
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Venice has made the headlines due to overtourism (Image: Getty)
Fodor explained the North Coast 500’s increase in tourism has become a “nuisance to the communities”. This is due to a lack of loos and campsites with roads becoming “congested with traffic”.
Fodor’s ‘no-go’ list also sheds light on other global spots plagued by overtourism. Bali faces a “plastic apocalypse” of litter, while Sicily’s Agrigento battles with a severe water shortage due to surging visitor numbers.
In Mexico’s Oaxaca, concerns have been raised about cultural commodification due to excessive tourism numbers.
Even Japan isn’t spared, with Tokyo and Kyoto so crowded that main tourist sites are difficult to navigate comfortably, not to mention the spike in living costs for locals associated with such high demand.
Meanwhile, travellers may think destinations like Barcelona, Venice and the Canary Islands are worth visiting time and time again. Nevertheless, research has highlighted “a record-breaking year for international travel to Europe”.
According to the European Travel Commission, the number of visitors in the first quarter of 2024 alone was 7.2 percent higher than before the pandemic.
This is due to overtourism with many locals living in these hotspots protesting about the number of tourists visiting throughout 2024.
The full list of “do not visit” locations:
- Bali, Indonesia
- Barcelona and Majorca, Spain
- Canary Islands
- Venice, Italy
- Agrigento, Sicily, Italy
- Lisbon, Portugal
- Koh Samui, Thailand
- Britain Virgin Islands
- Kerala, India
- Kyoto and Tokyo, Japan
- Oaxaca, Mexico
- Scotland North Coast 500