According to John Paul Sartre, hell is other people.
And several travellers on a Reddit forum seem to agree. They’ve been sharing the destinations they think are being spoiled because they are so overcrowded.
Reddit user ‘MittlerPfalz’ kicked off discussion by asking: ‘What’s a place that is surprisingly on the verge of being ruined by overtourism?’
From ‘bear-spotting’ traffic jams in the USA to ‘bedlam’ at a Chinese beauty spot – these are the destinations that left tourists feeling a little like sardines…
Tulum, Mexico

Tulum (pictured above) is ‘full of wannabe influencers’ and ‘much of the magic is gone’ says one Reddit user

Tulum is now so popular crowds of people can often be seen in its beauty spots
The Mexican beach resort of Tulum has changed a lot in the last few years, according to one Reddit commenter.
‘lalalibraaa’ says: ‘Tulum. I was there about 15 years ago when it was still very much an eco-tourist and environmentally conscious place. A beautiful spot right on the beach with nothing blocking your view of the ocean ran $150 (£112) per night. It was gorgeous. So chill. Now it’s just full of wannabe influencers and it’s so overcrowded, so expensive and so much of the magic is gone.’
Albania

Beach of Durres in Albania is hugely popular with cheap prices appealing to families
Too many people have got mania for Albania, according to several commenters.
‘NataschaTata’ says: ‘Albania is the new cheap place for Europeans.’
‘KingCarnivore’ adds: ‘The whole coast is being massively developed now, I feel like it’s going to lose its charm in a few years.’
‘Aquatic_Fridge’ says: ‘Albania has a lot of culture and a lot of history. But the coastal regions are setting up a lot these days for tourism. It’s all fake, newly built beaches and western looking beaches.’
Alaska, USA

Alaska is facing ‘Disneyland-like congestion’, according to one long-term resident

Cruise ships bring lots of visitors into the remote towns of Alaska, where residents are used to it being much quieter
Alaska is famed for its untouched landscapes but it’s become too commercialised for one long-term resident.
‘Dixbietuckins’ says: ‘Southeast Alaska has changed so much due to the cruise industry since I was a kid. Yeah it brings in money, but when I was a kid my home was a logging town/fishing town. Now the entire downtown is jewellery stores and trinket stores that are closed and boarded up much of the year. Airbnb and other factors make it so I can’t find a place to live in my hometown. People wander around with Disneyland-like congestion.’
Lucerne, Switzerland

Lucerne’s beauty has tourists flocking to enjoy it
A city in the centre of Switzerland, the crowds in Lucerne have left one person concerned.
‘Ornjfreshsqueezed’ says: ‘Lucerne, Switzerland is insane. I went there today and went to Pilatus mountain. Insane traffic and of course it’s not set up for that amount so the car parks near it may have 100 car spots tops. There were thousands there.’
Isle of Skye, UK

Scotland’s Isle of Skye (pictured above)boasts magnificent views

Sightseers are so keen to catch a glimpse of the breath-taking Scottish beauty that parking spots often get overwhelmed

The parking situation has led to visitors pulling up on both sides of the road on the island, despite the double yellow lines
The Isle of Skye, one of Scotland’s top island destinations, is far too congested with traffic, according to a commenter.
‘Ceorl_Lounge’ says: ‘It’s really far from any major cities, no airport, no motorway, just a couple of small towns and a c*** ton of sheep. But it’s slammed. Every parking lot for every site, no matter how far down a one-track road, was slammed with everything from motorcycles to motor homes. I had to back halfway down a tiny mountain pass because a tourist in an RV thought it was a great place to drive up, with no thought as to the clusterf*** getting back down would entail.’
‘Ambry’ added: ‘As a Scot, there are so many amazing gorgeous islands in Scotland but almost all foreign visitors only seem to want to go to Skye.’
Malta

Malta’s Golden Bay beach gets very crowded in the summer months

Streets of Malta’s capital, Valetta can become overwhelmed with tourists during the height of the season
Malta’s beauty is under threat of being overshadowed by crowds, according to two tourists.
‘BCH0417’ says: ‘The sheer amount of tourists in the capital city was insane. It was hard to appreciate the beauty of the city with all the souvenir shops selling the same thing and hordes of people everywhere.’
‘Mayoforsam’ adds: ‘Been in Malta for the last week and the place is overrun with tourists, cranes and new developments everywhere. We were in Gozo too and they are only a few years behind the main island. The whole place is basically one massive urban area and nature doesn’t get a look in. Way too many cars and roads are built everywhere, totally spoiling the landscape.’
Yellowstone, USA

The unspoiled beauty of Yellowstone brings tourists in their droves… and has now often become so overwhelming it’s putting people off visiting

One traveller says they were left ‘really disappointed’ with Yellowstone National Park (pictured above) due to the crowds – hundreds of whom flock to see the wildlife and the famous geysers

Hundreds of people queue to catch a glimpse of Yellowstone’s most famous geyser, Old Faithful
You’ll need to learn to ‘bear’ with the crowds for a visit to Yellowstone national park.
‘Thedelgadicone’ says: ‘I was really disappointed with it due to the amount of people that were there and there was no real effort to control crowds. The amount of half hour plus traffic jams just because there was a deer on the side of the road and everyone wants to stop and take a photo is out of control.’
‘Cornandcandy’ adds: ‘Rangers told us three-four weeks from then, a bear sighting will cause a two-three hour traffic jam.’
Kotor, Montenegro

Kotor used to be virtually empty in the summer months, but with many cruise ships putting it on the itinerary, that has changed

People queue at the narrow old town gates in Kotor
Cruise ships are threatening the peace in the seaside destination of Kotor, according to one commenter.
‘Bettercalldull’ says: ‘The town’s 23,000 residents have to cope with a procession of cruise ships and a daily influx of thousands of tourists. This overwhelming number of visitors is leading to severe traffic congestion, inflated housing prices and environmental degradation of the bay and surrounding ecology.’
‘Dangerous_load_5193’ adds: ‘That’s such a shame. I have fond memories of Kotor from about 12 years ago, it was August and the old town was practically empty except some locals and a few tourists. It still felt like a hidden gem back then.’
Yangshuo Town, China

Yangshuo boasts breath-taking natural beauty – but visitors have cottoned on and now come in such high numbers it can feel overcrowded

Yangshuo in China (pictured above) feels like ‘absolute bedlam’ according to one Reddit user

Yangshuo’s streets are frequently filled to capacity with tourists
A resort destination in southern China, beautiful Yangshuo is far too overcrowded, says one commenter.
‘MTRCNUK’, who says they’ve been going there once a year since 2016, adds: ‘It was always such a chilled place to escape to, but I went last month, which also to be fair was the first time I’d ever been in peak season and it was absolute bedlam.
‘There has been an insane amount of building in the town centre area, and so much more going on. Tons of hotels and shopping malls which are crowding out the area and can’t be sustainable. It was also absolute chaos with people running around all over the place, traffic etc.’