When Crowds Take Over
It always starts innocently enough, with someone posting a gorgeous shot of a hidden cove or a rainbow-hued canyon. The ambient lighting is perfect, and the scene seems like something straight out of imagination. All at once, a new dream destination is unlocked for millions. Soon the spot isn’t hidden anymore, and lines form where there used to be a quiet boulevard. Drones hum overhead like oversized mosquitoes, snapping aerial footage. The air becomes pungent with the smell of sunscreen and a thousand sweating armpits. Sometimes these local spots survive the surge of humanity and fade back into obscurity. Others, unfortunately, do not. Here are twenty that didn’t.
1. Maya Bay, Thailand
Made famous by Leonardo DiCaprio’s early film The Beach, this beach became a victim of the young heartthrob’s popularity, which ushered in a wave of sightseers who absolutely demolished the area. So many boats anchored there that the coral reefs died. While authorities shut it down in 2018 to allow the ecosystem to recover, the restrictions were a little too late.
2. Horseshoe Bend, Arizona
This scenic stop off Highway 89 became famous for its surreal natural rock formations within easy access of the road. A constant influx of crowds forced officials to install a fenced-off viewing platform to prevent the soft sandstone from eroding under foot traffic. And yes, people still lean dangerously over the edge in an effort to capture that viral Instagram photo.
3. Santorini, Greece
The iconic whitewashed homes and blue-domed roofs of Oia have been the backdrop for so many travel influencer photoshoots that the actual residents of this city often need to queue behind tourists to reach their homes. The sunsets over the Aegean are still breathtaking—if you can manage to catch a glimpse of it beyond the sea of selfie sticks.
4. Machu Picchu, Peru
While social media doesn’t bear responsibility for its discovery (the onus lies on a 1911 American explorer), the legendary mountain vista’s Instagram fame has certainly accelerated its wear and tear. To curb the erosion of shuffling feet, the ancient stone paths now have one-way walking systems to manage the impact of the human tide.
5. Lake Louise, Canada
You’d think it would be a challenge to ruin a glacier-fed lake high up in the Rockies, but the constant crowds ignoring the “stay on path” signs have managed to turn this remote lake in the heart of Banff National Park into a glorified parking lot. The thousands of visitors crowding the banks of this lake have added environmental pressure on the formerly untouched vista.
6. Trolltunga, Norway
That dramatic rock jutting over the fjord used to be a remote hiking reward for the few with the stamina to make the 10+ hour trek. Nowadays, the line for photos can take longer than the hike itself. Some people even bring outfit changes, because if you didn’t capture the moment on camera, did it even really happen?
7. Venice, Italy
While its delicate infrastructure has been strained by mass tourism for decades, the social media boom has pushed Venice to the breaking point. Now a backdrop for endless TikTok gondola shots and crowds so large that you can only really shuffle through the narrow streets elbow to elbow, the Italian government was recently forced to implement new entry fees to try and curb the human tide.
8. Iceland’s Fjaðrárgljúfur Canyon
All it took to thrust this landmark into the limelight was being featured in a Justin Bieber music video. The stage was then set for an influx of curious fans eager to share the same ground with the pop star. The fragile moss ecosystem was trampled so badly that the site had to close to regrow.
9. Antelope Canyon, Arizona
The swirls of red sandstone formations look otherworldly on camera—and that’s the problem. Tour groups now cycle through every few minutes, shuffling tourists along in narrow, claustrophobic lines for their turn to take a photo for the ‘gram.
10. Bali Swing Spots, Indonesia
There was a time when Bali was an off-the-beaten-trail destination that consisted of quiet beaches and serene temples. Nowadays, it’s an Airbnb investor’s paradise with made-for-Instagram swings, bird nests, and fake “jungle pods” built solely to satisfy the viral cravings of travel influencers.
11. Chefchaouen, Morocco
Noted for the deep shades of blue coloring the city’s buildings, this photogenic location is picturesque from every angle, which unfortunately means its alleyways are clogged with camera-toting visitors. Residents are constantly touching up the blue paint to keep the backdrop perfect for strangers.
12. Mount Everest Base Camp, Nepal
Although the cost of summiting Everest is the equivalent of a hefty down payment on a house, many adventurers are willing to pay top dollar for the bragging rights. Every season, hundreds make the trek for the photo, leaving behind trash and human waste that’s harder to remove at that altitude.
13. Hallstatt, Austria
This postcard-perfect alpine village became so overloaded with day-trippers after a few viral posts that the mayor publicly begged people to stop coming. It didn’t work; if anything, it only made matters worse.
14. Dubrovnik, Croatia
This location served as the backdrop for King’s Landing in Game of Thrones, but social media turned it into a permanent film set. The Old Town is now almost impossible to enjoy without weaving through guided tour flags capitalizing on foreign dollars.
15. The Wave, Arizona
This famous sandstone location is a permit-only destination reserved for a handful of hikers each day. Social media demand has pushed the lottery system to thousands of applicants daily, and rangers constantly have to deal with trespassers trying to sneak in.
16. Cappadocia, Turkey
This historical site consists of chimney-like rock formations with homes chiseled directly into the stones. Every morning, a fleet of hot air balloons rises over the scene, creating a logistical mess as dozens of balloons crowd the sky while tourists angle for that perfect aerial shot.
17. Ban Gioc Waterfall, Vietnam–China Border
What used to be a peaceful riverside cascade is now packed with tour buses and vendors selling selfie sticks. The sound of water is still audible somewhere in the backdrop, but the tranquil rush is hidden under the blaring speakers and chatter of excited tourists.
18. Kyoto’s Gion District, Japan
Social media fueled the hunt for authentic geisha photos, which led to tourists chasing and harassing working women for a selfie. Some areas have attempted to ban photography altogether, but as you might imagine, this often falls on deaf ears.
19. Skógafoss, Iceland
The waterfall’s gentle rising mist creates an eternal shimmering rainbow so perfect that people often wade dangerously close in pursuit of the ideal shot. The influx is so continuous that the parking lot is a perpetual mud pit from overuse.
20. Angkor Wat, Cambodia
Although still magnificent and worth the visit, the temple’s quiet serenity is now a forgotten relic of the era before social media. The sunrise crowd now looks like a concert audience, with phones raised high over heads, all attempting to capture the iconic morning glow reflected in the moat.
