The tourist publishing house Fodor’s named the popular destinations where it is better not to go on vacation in 2024.
A total of nine locations around the world are on the 2024 No List for a variety of reasons, from over-tourism and pollution to problems with access to drinking water.
1. Venice (Italy). The famous city on the water has been suffering from excessive tourism for many years and, as before, cannot solve this problem. From 2024, Venice will introduce a modest entrance fee, but experts believe this is unlikely to act as a deterrent to tourists.
2. Athens (Greece). Over-tourism and the lack of approved plans to manage tourist flows are damaging the Acropolis, despite recently introduced restrictions on visits, and disrupting the traditional way of life in the surrounding areas.
3. Mount Fuji (Japan). Visitors are not fully aware of the risks and detrimental effects of climbing Mt.Fuji and put themselves at physical risk by crowding the sacred peak.
4. Mount San Gabriel National Monument (California, USA). The number of visitors combined with a lack of oversight and environmental awareness has led to the deterioration of what should have been a natural oasis for Los Angeles County.
5. Halong Bay (Vietnam). Water tourism management in Halong Bay, along with burgeoning fishing communities, contribute to the build-up of trash and diesel fuel in the water, and efforts to limit pollution are easily bypassed.
6. Atacama Desert (Chile). The increasingly popular country in South America positions the Atacama as one of its best natural resources, but this is at odds with how it manages the desert’s environmental conservation.
7. Lake Superior (USA/Canada). The largest freshwater lake on the planet faces fish consumption advisories and ecosystem threats such as invasive species and algal blooms, as well as the effects of overtourism, especially in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.
8. River Ganges (India). India’s most important river faces problems from sewage and “floating” pollution, as well as threats to river dolphins – all exacerbated by the push for luxury river cruises on the Ganges.
9. To Samui (Thailand). The lack of fresh water has plagued Samui for almost a year now, as tourists flock to the island more and more actively, consuming 70% of local water resources.
As reported by DIP, American Express previously analyzed its travel data and compiled a list of destinations that are already popular with tourists in 2024.