Overtourism has reached a tipping point. Recent news from Japan is perhaps the most striking evidence yet. The city of Fujiyoshida has officially cancelled its celebrated Cherry Blossom Festival at Arakurayama Sengen Park this year, an event that once drew 200,000 visitors annually to see the Chureito Pagoda framed by sakura and Mount Fuji.
For a decade, the city invited the world to see its charming, springtime cherry blossoms. But in 2025, Japan saw a record 42.7 million international visitors, 7.4 million during the peak blossom seasons of March and April alone. Nearly 10,000 visitors per day descended on Fujiyoshida, driven by the Instagrammability of the season.
While destinations typically celebrate an increase in tourism, the Mayor described this as a crisis. The most shocking behaviours reported included tourists trespassing into private homes to use bathrooms and even defecating in residents’ gardens. By cancelling the festival, the city prioritises the dignity of its citizens over tourism revenue.
“Behind the beautiful scenery, the quiet lives of citizens are under threat,” explained Mayor Horii Shigeru. He added, “We aim to create an environment where residents’ lives and tourism can coexist, building a town that can sincerely welcome people from around the world.”
Someone else’s home has become a tourist’s playground
This is one of many examples of a fundamental breakdown in the relationship between a destination and its guests. On the other side of the world, Scotland is struggling with the North Coast 500. What was designed to be a scenic driving route to boost a neglected economy has become known as the Instagram Highway.
Severe overtourism has led to traffic congestion, environmental damage, and infrastructure strain in the Highland. Residents now face gridlocked single-track roads, making it impossible for locals to get to work or for ambulances to reach emergencies. Many tourists have been camping irresponsibly, leaving behind litter and human waste. As a result, the Highland Council passed The Visitor Levy (Scotland) Act in 2024, and earlier this year announced it would be taking extra time to develop more robust plans for the tourist tax.
In Europe, the fight is against theme-park cities. Since April 2024, Spain has been protesting, with residents demanding a temporary limit on tourism until legislation could be introduced to combat the negative effects of overtourism. Early this year, Barcelona introduced a strict new management system for tourist coaches parking and stopping in the city. The new 4.0 Bus Zone came into effect from Monday, 9 February 2026, with the aim of promoting more orderly and efficient mobility at tourist hotspots.
It also shifted its slogan from “VisitBarcelona” to “This is Barcelona.” The subtle but powerful change signals that the city is a living community, not a tourist playground. By the end of this year, the city will additionally close two of its cruise terminals to stop hit-and-run tourism that brings crowds without economic benefit.
Take only memories, leave only footprints
Film tourism is another trend driving overtourism. Made popular by being a Game of Thrones filming site, Dubrovnik sees, on average, over 1.5 million tourists annually. During the summer, daily figures can reach up to 15,000 to 20,000, straining the city’s capacity.
To combat this, the city implemented a strict booking system, capping visitors at 4000 at any one time within the city walls. Taking it a step further, starting this year, visitors will need to book in advance to pass through Dubrovnik’s city walls, controlling the size of crowds and improving the visitor experience. A maximum of two cruise ships will be allowed to dock per day.
Even the most remote places on Earth aren’t safe. Now considered a destination to avoid by some travel experts, visitor numbers to Antarctica have risen more than tenfold in 30 years. The carbon footprint of a single cruise passenger is massive, and the physical presence of thousands of people is disrupting fragile penguin colonies.
Similarly in Nepal, Mount Everest is now considered the world’s highest rubbish dump. The most heavily polluted areas are the high-altitude camps, where the waste includes empty oxygen bottles, tents, food containers, rope, and human excrement. To retain its status as a natural world wonder, the Nepalese army introduced a Mountain Clean-up Campaign, as well as mandatory GPS tracking and a waste deposit scheme, requiring climbers to bring back their own waste.
A global pushback against tourism
So what does this mean for the future of travel? Paying to enter a city is becoming the new normal. This March, Kyoto will introduce Japan’s highest-ever hotel tax, with a tiered structure based on room rates. Meanwhile, Venice expanded its day-tripper entry fee. London and Edinburgh are both moving toward a 5% visitor levy to fund infrastructure that is buckling under the weight of tourism.
Overtourism is an infrastructure and human rights crisis. Destinations are finally realising that if they don’t protect the soul of their city, there won’t be anything left for tourists to visit. For travellers, there needs to be a shift towards cultural accountability. When visiting a different destination, we have to ensure our presence isn’t a burden to the people that call it home.
Support independent, honest journalism
At STERNA, we believe travel journalism should provoke new thought, inspire positive change, and highlight the purpose-led and sustainable businesses protecting our planet and local communities.
True, independent storytelling takes intention and deep research. We operate without clickbait, sensationalism, or corporate bias.
By contributing to STERNA, you directly fund independent journalism and help us bring more stories of positive environmental and cultural impact to light.
If our work has inspired you, consider supporting our mission.
Contribute to support independent journalism.
At STERNA, we believe travel journalism should provoke new thought, inspire positive change, and highlight the purpose-led and sustainable businesses protecting our planet and local communities.
True, independent storytelling takes intention and deep research. We operate without clickbait, sensationalism, or corporate bias.
By contributing to STERNA, you directly fund independent journalism and help us bring more stories of positive environmental and cultural impact to light.
If our work has inspired you, consider supporting our mission.
Contribute to support independent journalism.
Choose an amount:
Or enter a custom amount:
Your contribution is appreciated, and helps to keep our site ad-free.
Your contribution is appreciated, and helps to keep our site ad-free.
