Overcrowded destination named holiday to avoid in 2025

A travel guide has issued a warning to tourists, advising them to think twice before visiting certain destinations next year, and surprisingly, a UK spot is on the list. Scotland's famed North Coast 500 road trip has found itself on the 2025 Fodor's Travel 'Go and No Lists', with the guide suggesting travellers reconsider this destination. The picturesque 516-mile journey, which boasts incredible views of castles and coastlines across Wester Ross, Sutherland, Caithness, Easter Ross, the Black Isle, and Inverness-shire, stands as the sole UK location mentioned in the cautionary list.

READ MORE: ‘Beautiful’ city with iconic attraction is the UK’s ‘most festive’ place to visit this winter The guide, which also flags global hotspots like Tokyo, Bali, and Koh Samui in Thailand, points out that the NC500's booming popularity has become a "nuisance to the communities" and threatens the local environment due to insufficient infrastructure such as campsites, toilets, and facilities for chemical waste disposal. It also notes that the roads are becoming increasingly "congested with traffic". Despite Scotland's open-access 'right to roam' policy, wild camping along the NC500 has sparked controversy, with instances of people pitching tents on beaches, lay-bys, and even private land, reports the Express .

Community members have voiced concerns over environmental damage, citing "campfire scorch marks, trash, disposable grills, and even human faeces" as common issues. The travel guide's compilation was informed by the phenomenon of "highly coveted tourist spots [that] are collapsing under the burden of their own prominence", with overtourism identified as a key concern. Fodor's, the renowned travel guide, has raised concerns about over-tourism, pointing to Scotland's stunning North Coast 500 (NC500) as a prime example of a scenic road trip route that's buckling under its own popularity.

The guide posed the question: "What happens when a road trip route becomes too popular, threatening the natural environment and becoming a nuisance to the communities living alongside it?" It highlighted that camping in tents or motorhomes is a favourite way for tourists to explore the NC500. However, a lack of sufficient facilities such as campsites, toilets, and designated chemical waste areas is causing problems along the route. Fodor's also shed light on the challenges faced by locals, revealing: "Wild camping' on beaches, in laybys, and even on private property is common, and residents report finding campfire scorch marks, trash, disposable grills, and even human faeces in their wake.

" The guide's 'no-go' list also spotlighted other global locations grappling with the negative impacts of tourism. Bali, famed for its picturesque landscapes, is dealing with a "plastic apocalypse" of litter, while Sicily's Agrigento struggles with a severe water shortage exacerbated by soaring visitor numbers. In Oaxaca, Mexico, there are growing worries about cultural commodification due to excessive tourist influx.

Even Japan isn't immune, with Tokyo and Kyoto so packed that main tourist sites are hard to navigate comfortably. This is coupled with a rise in living costs for locals due to the high demand. Fodor's has revealed a compilation of 25 enchanting, off-the-beaten-path locations for globetrotters to explore.

These include Merida in Mexico, the Marquesas Islands in French Polynesia, Houston, South Dakota's Badlands National Park, and Los Olivos, California. Popular destinations to avoid in 2025: Mount Everest Bali, Indonesia European cities such as Barcelona, Lisbon, Mallorca, Venice, and the Canary Islands Koh Samui, Thailand Kerala, India Kyoto and Tokyo, Japan Oaxaca, Mexico Scotland North Coast 500 For more details, check out Fodor's No List 2025 here . If you want ideas and inspiration to plan your next UK adventure plus selected offers and competitions, sign up for our 2Chill weekly newsletter here.