‘Overtourism’. It’s more than a buzzword – in the world’s most popular destinations, it’s a problem that affects almost every aspect of local life, from the environment to the cost of renting, transport and eating out.
And when a place is overwhelmed by people, it’s not only locals’ quality of life that suffers; the quality of your holiday does, too.
But, with baby steps, it looks like things could be changing. Destinations like Italyand Japan are coming up with ways to redistribute tourism from densely crowded hotspots to lesser-visited regions. Among travellers, overtourism has given rise to the ‘destination dupes’ trend, where overrun holiday destinations are swapped out for less crowded, less expensive, but just-as-good alternatives.
- Filandia, Colombia.
- Southern Tunisia.
- São Sebastião, Brazil.
- Côn Đảo, Vietnam.
- Prince Edward Island, Canada.
- Sibiu, Romania.
- Tasmania, Australia.
- Cochamó Valley, Chile
- Newcastle, Australia
- Bentonville, Arkansas, USA
7. Tasmania, Australia
Photograph: Olga Kashubin / Shutterstock.com
Australia’s smallest state has it all. One of the world’s only carbon-negative places, much of the island is protected under the Tasmania Wilderness World Heritage Area, home to over 800 hiking trails.
And despite Tassie’s white sand beaches, it’s not just a summer destination – the off-season brings cold-water swimming, the Aurora Australis (Southern Lights) and winter festivals like Dark Mofo.
In fact, there’s no shortage of culture: check out the Museum of Old and New Art in Hobart or explore the UNESCO-listed village of Port Arthur.
Farm-to-table restaurants Stillwater and Havilah, both in Launceston, are well worth booking, and you can easily spend an afternoon on the island’s cider, wine and whisky trails around Devonport, Hobart and the Huon Valley.
Make sure you stop by Bruny Island to say hi to the local penguins.
9. Newcastle, Australia
Photograph: Iryna Makukha / Shutterstock.com
There aren’t many places in Australia where a city sits right on the shore of a beautiful surf beach, but Newcastle isn’t ordinary. This low-rise New South Wales city is a two-hour drive (or 2.5-hour train trip) north of Sydney.
It started out as a coal-mining and port town, and then became a surfers’ haven, but it’s evolved into so much more – it’s now packed with hip cafés, world-class restaurants, live music venues and glorious coastal walks. Spend summer days at Nobbys Beach or swimming in the open-air Merewether Ocean Baths.
Take a walk up to Nobbys Lighthouse, and then around to harbour precinct Honeysuckle. At sunset, we’d recommend having a cocktail up at the QT Hotel’s rooftop bar, before heading to one of the area’s best restaurants, Flotilla, which heroes beautiful local produce and wine.
In Newcastle you get the best of a relaxed beach escape and buzzing city break in one.
