For travellers, overtourism ruins the experience. For locals, it can be a nuisance. But neither of them are the real victim!
Human beings tend to call themselves the victims of all situations.
Global warming? Caribbeans are losing their home!
Air pollution? People in New Delhi & Beijing deserve a better life!!
Coronavirus? Oh, the poor mankind!!!… when in reality all these problems are man-made!
Similarly, when it comes to the impacts of overtourism the biggest loser is neither the traveller nor the native, it’s nature — whether it’s one of the top tourist destinations in India or something more offbeat.
Impacts of Overtourism: A Case study
I remember when I revisited Nongriat, a small village in the eastern Khasi hills in Meghalaya, 5-years after my first visit, my heart sank with grief. It was my all-time favorite destination in India but has now become a victim of mass tourism. The wave upon wave of tourists that over-tourism has brought to Nongriat and the Living root-bridge, was just slowly killing the place.
My first visit to Nongriat happened in 2015 (check these photos of Nongriat Meghalaya) when I spent a week relaxing and lazing around the village. Back then, you could spend an entire day sitting on the double-decker root-bridge. The surrounding pools were moreover open for the public to take a dip.
Almost a decade later (in 2026) Overtourism destroyed the place. Now, bathing in the pools was strictly prohibited. Walking the double-decker root bridge in Nongiat in a group of more than 5 people wasn’t allowed. There was moreover a time limit of 2-minutes if someone wanted to stand on the root-bridge and take a selfie.
And that wasn’t all. Where last time I found local families in Nongriat too welcoming to be real, this time they were busy making money. Kids were busy selling fake ‘natural honey’. The root-bridge, the surrounding flora and fauna, and the beauty of the place, everything was dead.
Also Read: From no mentions on Google in 2015 to a daily footfall of over 5000 tourists in 2026… The Story of How Mass-tourism Changed Nongriat. Here’s another similar story about another popular destination in Meghalaya: Dawki River
Overtourism Forced Me to Shut Down My Hospitality Business In The Mountains
I understood the impacts of overtourism more closely when I had to shut down my hospitality business in Manali and move to a quieter place in Himachal Pradesh. Those who follow me on social media or have stayed with us in the past at Footloose Camps in Manali know that we ran a Wellness Facility in Manali (we were also featured in various publications for the work we were doing). Yet we could not run it for long enough!
For years, Manali wasn’t just a destination for me — it was home. It was where I built my work, hosted travellers, and created experiences through my own property. I saw the town closely, not as a tourist, but as someone deeply involved in its tourism ecosystem.
And slowly, I began to notice a shift.
What was once a peaceful mountain town started feeling… overwhelming.
Tourism in Manali didn’t just grow — it exploded. And the kind of travellers the place attracted began to change!
The charm that once made Manali special — the slow mornings, the silence, the connection with nature — was getting harder to find.
Operating a property in Manali started becoming challenging in ways I hadn’t imagined.
The experience I wanted to offer didn’t align with what the destination was becoming.
And somewhere along the way, I had to ask myself: ‘Am I still creating meaningful travel experiences — or just managing volume?’ That question stayed with me.
The Decision to Walk Away
Shutting down or stepping away from something you’ve built is never easy.
But staying in a place that no longer aligns with your values is harder.
So I made a decision — not impulsively, but consciously.
I chose to step away from Manali.
Not because I stopped loving it.
But because I cared enough to admit that it had changed… and so had I.
Immediate Impacts of Mass-tourism
Here’s how a destination slowly shapes itself if fallen prey to mass-tourism…
1. Environmental Damage
- Natural ecosystems get destroyed
- Waste and plastic increase
- Water resources get overused
- Flora and fauna begin to decline
Places that once thrived naturally slowly start losing their ecological balance.
2. Cultural Erosion
- Local traditions become “performances” for tourists
- Authentic experiences turn commercial
- Communities lose their identity
What you experience is no longer real — it’s curated.
3. Strain on Infrastructure
- Traffic congestion
- Water shortages
- Overloaded public spaces
If you’ve ever been stuck in a Manali traffic jam for hours, you’ve seen this firsthand.
4. Rising Cost of Living for Locals
- Property prices increase
- Rentals shift to tourists
- Locals get pushed out
Tourism starts benefiting outsiders more than residents.
5. Decline in Travel Experience
Ironically, overtourism also ruins travel for travellers.
- Long queues
- Noisy environments
- Lack of connection with the place
The very reason we travel — to escape — disappears.
Global Examples of Overtourism
Small Himalayan villages are becoming popular bucket-list towns. Popular high mountain passes have started choking out of traffic jams. Overtourism and its impacts and problems are real across the world.
I remember when I visited Vatican City, I had to do the special Skip The Crowd Vatican City tour that starts one hour before the gate is open for the regular public because during public hours I couldn’t click photos & blog about the place. During public hours, tour groups would come and choke the place.
Travel can change the world. Done right, and it can develop infrastructure, help communities grow.
Crowded destinations are a by-product of cheap group tours that have made travelling less interesting and more attainable. Though it’s a good thing that travelling is affordable for everyone, the fact that overtourism is affecting the existing ecosystem is not helping anyone.
Budget airlines, cheap group tours, and discounted Airbnbs have made destinations unable to cope with all the visitors they get — and pushed out locals in the process.
And now, communities are starting to push back…
Barcelona is no longer allowing new hotels in the city. Chile is shortening the length of time visitors can stay on its Easter Island. Venice is restricting Airbnb activity. Iceland is curbing outsiders from buying property in the country… and there are more examples of the impacts and effects of overtourism around the world.
The world is saying “Enough!”
And I, for one, am all for this!
What Causes Overtourism?
Overtourism didn’t happen overnight. It’s the result of multiple factors coming together:
1. Cheap Travel & Budget Airlines
Flying today is cheaper than ever. More people can travel — which is great — but destinations are struggling to keep up.
2. Social Media Virality
One viral Instagram reel can turn a hidden gem into a crowded hotspot within months.
3. Group Tours & Mass Travel
In two words: Big Groups. I mean think of it this way… a solo traveller, even if littering around, won’t bother locals as much as a group of 30 tourists only talking and laughing loudly in their neighbourhood!
There needs to be a balance between visitors and residents and big tourist groups disturb the balance.
While I am not talking about banning tourist-groups outright, there should be better ways to control the number, and the problems overtourism brings will be minimise automatically.
Large organized groups often overwhelm small destinations that aren’t built for high-volume tourism. I remember when I revisited Nongriat, in Meghalaya, I only saw big groups of tourists. Seeing Nongriat falling prey to overtourism, I blamed myself. I hated myself for putting Nongriat on the world map five years ago. “If I, and the others, who wrote and promoted Nongriat hadn’t done so, this place would still be the same.”
Oterh than this, companies who give no consideration to sustainable-tourism and focus only on selling should be blamed. I mean if I talk about myself, I have always travelled and advised people to travel solo, travel responsibly, and follow minimalism, not overtourism.
4. Airbnb & Unregulated Accommodation
The rise of short-term rentals has:
- Increased tourist capacity
- Reduced housing for locals
- Accelerated commercialization
Airbnb started its journey as a tool that allowed locals to list their homes as hotels. From those owning real estate in Miami to those living in the Himalayas at 3000m above sea level, it empowered everyone to become a proprietor — a very revolutionary thing to do, and I’ve got a lot of respect for Airbnb for that.
But lately, Airbnb has focused only on expansion and expanded to the point that it has started affecting the ecosystem because of overtourism. Today, everyone wants to turn their home into an Airbnb. And if someone doesn’t own one, they built a 4-story house somewhere in their village in Uttarakhand and started one… and this contributes to unregulated tourism!
5. Lack of Tourism Planning
This is the biggest and most affecting reason of overtourism. Many destinations simply weren’t designed to handle the kind of footfall they’re receiving today.
Overtourism in India: A Growing Problem
It’s not just Nongriat.
Across India:
- Small Himalayan villages are becoming overcrowded
- High mountain passes are facing traffic jams
- Popular hill stations are losing their charm
Towns like Manali have reached a point where it felt unsustainable.
Solution to Overtourism: Responsible Tourism
Don’t Be A Part of The Social Media Effect
Social media has an amplifying effect. If we see someone renting a houseboat in Alleppey and posting a few selfies on Instagram, it makes us all want to do the same. Social media tends to make people do things irrespective of the consequences. It makes it easier for everyone to find places and then overrun them. Please don’t follow the herd. Stop being a part of the social media effect it is a contributing factor to overtourism.
Avoid Cheap Group Tours To Stop Overtourism
Where Organised group tours are a great way to travel and travel more on less time/budget, there’s no denying the fact that they sometimes overwhelm a destination with tourism. We all have seen what’s happening in Ladakh with motorcycle tours. Stop being a part of group tours that over-accommodate people.
Travel During off-season
If you visit a place during peak season “because the weather is nice” you’re just contributing to the crowds. Travel during the off-season, when the crowds are fewer and the prices lower and decreases the impact of overtourism. Moreover, travelling during peak season is expensive, so why even go around that time?
Be A Savvy Tourist
Read about the destination before actually ending up there. Learn its history. Know their culture. The more knowledgeable you are about a place, the less (negative) impact you’re going to make on the destination.
Stop Travelling To Only Get Drunk
One reason why I stopped travelling with others (other than avoiding overtourism) and became a solo traveller was that everyone around me loved getting drunk on a holiday. People would travel 500km from Delhi to Manali to only get intoxicated, leaving me thinking ‘we could get drunk back home and save us some time and money’.
Don’t treat a destination like you own it. It’s someone’s home. Treat them with kindness. You’re a guest in their home.
Be Environmentally Friendly
Of course, we don’t need to discuss the entire ‘throw no plastic, leave no (carbon)footprint’ gibberish again. We know the deal!
Do you think Overtourism is threatening our beautiful travel destinations? What measures do you take to avoid it? Let’s share some experiences and advice in the comments below!
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