Asia’s Tourist Hotspots Struggle With Overtourism

Why Asia’s most famous places are feeling the strain

For years, the world associated overtourism with Europe. Crowds in Venice, queues in Barcelona, and noise complaints in Amsterdam set the tone. That pattern has reached Asia at a rapid pace. From Kyoto’s alleyways to Bali’s beaches and Phuket’s roads, visitor numbers have surged to the point where residents, infrastructure, and fragile ecosystems are under pressure. The issue is not a shortage of space across the continent. It is the concentration of millions of people in the same few places at the same times.

After border reopenings, pent-up demand and cheap airfares fueled a wave of travel. A growing middle class in large markets, including India and China, has added more first-time international travelers. Domestic tourism has also soared as people rediscover local icons. In Northeast Asia, arrivals rose sharply in early 2025. Vietnam saw strong growth in international arrivals. Japan welcomed more than 33 million visitors in 2024 and set new monthly records in 2025. Currency shifts amplified the trend. A weak yen made Japan feel like a bargain, while social media amplified dream shots of Mount Fuji and Kyoto’s geisha district. The result is record congestion in a handful of famous sites that already had limited capacity.

Communities want tourism to succeed. Jobs, local services, and national branding all benefit when visitors come, spend, and share positive stories. The challenge is how to manage success without degrading daily life or scarring the natural and cultural assets that make these places special. That balance is now driving a wave of policy experiments, from visitor caps and seasonal closures to new taxes and stricter rules on etiquette, short-term rentals, and waste.

What is driving the surge in visitors

Multiple forces are converging. Post pandemic savings, work flexibility, and a desire to make up for lost time created a bulge in long-haul and regional trips. Discount carriers widened access to popular routes. Content platforms turned a few backdrops into must-see bucket list stops. Add to that the exchange rate effect. A weaker yen, for example, stretched foreign wallets and supercharged demand for Japan’s most famous sights.

Tourism boards have also marketed aggressively to rebuild jobs. In many countries, travel is a pillar industry, worth large shares of GDP and employment. That economic weight gives leaders strong incentives to prioritize growth. The challenge is that marketing often moves faster than management. The flow of people is spiky, peaking during holidays and at a few headline attractions rather than spreading across time and space. Golden Week in Japan, Lunar New Year across the region, and cherry blossom season are classic examples. Visitor flows pile into already busy places at the same hours, and thresholds are breached.

Capacity is not only about roads and parks. Social limits matter too. Researchers have shown that crowding changes how people feel about a place. Some visitors experience buzz and social energy. Others feel stress, resentment, and a loss of uniqueness. Perceptions shift based on who you are and how you travel. Cruise passengers may tolerate crowding more than independent travelers, which has implications for port scheduling and city traffic. Resident tolerance also has a threshold. When norms are ignored and daily routines are disrupted, the social contract frays.

Where the pressure is most visible

Across the region, the same pattern repeats. A few iconic sites take the brunt of demand. Narrow streets, delicate shorelines, and historical neighborhoods do not scale well. Investments help, yet each destination has a carrying capacity that goes beyond numbers, touching quality of life and cultural respect.

Japan, Kyoto and Mount Fuji

Japan’s rebound has been dramatic. Trains and stations in Tokyo, Kyoto, and Osaka brim with tourists lugging bags during rush hour. Kyoto’s historic Gion district has struggled with intrusive photography and crowding. Officials have closed some private lanes to tourists and posted warnings. Unauthorized access to certain alleys now carries a fine of JPY 10,000. Some sites are exploring tiered pricing, where residents and international visitors pay different rates. Himeji Castle plans higher fees for non-residents beginning in 2026 to fund upkeep and manage demand.

Mount Fuji, a sacred national symbol, has faced litter and congestion on its trails. New limits cap the number of daily climbers at 4,000 on the busy Yoshida route. A toll of JPY 2,000 per climber and time restrictions aim to protect the mountain and improve safety. Local towns have even taken creative steps to ease pressure at viral photo spots. In one lakeside town near Fuji, a large screen now blocks a popular viewpoint to reduce traffic and trash at a single overrun corner.

National strategies attempt to reshape flows. Authorities have promoted luggage forwarding to reduce crowding on buses, backed cashless payments, and encouraged rail over tour buses in Kyoto. These steps help, although infrastructure upgrades take time, and etiquette gaps remain a recurring source of friction.

Thailand, Phuket and Maya Bay

Thailand welcomed more than 35 million visitors last year. Phuket, one of its biggest magnets, struggles with traffic, water shortages, and a growing waste burden. The main landfill is under strain, so a new incinerator is being built. At the same time, park managers have banned single-use plastics in protected areas and rotate seasonal closures to allow recovery.

Maya Bay, filmed in The Beach, became a case study of what happens when a small cove receives thousands of people a day. Authorities closed it for almost four years beginning in 2018. When it reopened, rules changed. Boats cannot anchor in the bay, swimming is off limits, and a daily limit close to 3,000 visitors is enforced, with periodic closures for recovery. Enforcement is a challenge in open coastal settings, but coral and marine life have begun to rebound.

Indonesia, Bali

Bali’s allure remains powerful, yet the island faces water shortages, plastic pollution, and flooding aggravated by overdevelopment. Authorities introduced a tourist tax of IDR 150,000 per foreign visitor in February 2024. The revenue is earmarked for infrastructure and cultural preservation. Local leaders have also debated curbs on new hotels to avoid overshoot. Enforcement of temple etiquette and rules on scooters and noise has tightened as the island works to preserve daily life and Balinese culture amid heavy visitation.

Vietnam, Ha Long Bay and Hoi An

Vietnam’s coastal and heritage sites, including Ha Long Bay and the old town of Hoi An, have seen rapid growth in visitor numbers. The draw is clear. Limestone karsts and lantern lit streets offer unique experiences. The pressure is also real. Quays fill up, small streets jam, and fragile shorelines require careful management. Vietnamese authorities have signaled plans to improve crowd control and distribute tourism to lesser known provinces in order to protect star attractions.

Philippines, Boracay

Boracay closed to visitors for six months in 2018 after years of unmanaged growth and pollution. That reset allowed a major cleanup and new zoning rules. Visitor caps, stricter inspections, and rules on single-use plastics came with the reopening. Conditions improved, offering a lesson that decisive action can restore a destination when paired with sustained enforcement.

Bhutan, a different model

Bhutan continues to avoid overtourism by design. Its high value, low impact approach relies on a Sustainable Development Fee of USD 100 per person per day for most foreign visitors. The fee helps fund conservation and community services while keeping daily numbers manageable. It is a stark contrast to mass tourism, and it shows that aligning pricing with carrying capacity can preserve culture and nature.

Environmental and cultural costs felt by residents

Overcrowding stresses nature and people. Coral breaks under flippers. Turtles avoid busy beaches. Water use increases while droughts and aging pipes strain supplies. Rubbish accumulates faster than islands and small towns can process. In many places, residents report long queues for buses and trains, higher noise at night, and a sense that familiar streets are becoming stage sets. Short term rentals squeeze housing supply and raise prices in historic neighborhoods. Businesses benefit from visitor spending, yet the daily costs are unevenly distributed.

There is also a cultural dimension. In Kyoto, geisha and maiko faced harassment by intrusive photographers. In Bali, social media stunts in temples offended local norms. These incidents add to the perception that crowds are not just large, they are less respectful. That erodes support for tourism even among residents who work in the sector.

Natalie Kidd, managing director for Asia at Intrepid Travel, argues that the quality of tourism matters as much as the volume. She frames the debate around local benefit, fair wages, and respect for heritage.

“The real question isn’t whether we should travel, but how we can travel better, better for the people who live in the places we visit, better for the environment, and better for the travelers themselves. I am over tourism that ignores how many visitors a destination can comfortably welcome.”

Another concern is economic leakage, where large portions of spending flow to foreign owners or chains rather than local suppliers. Studies in Bali suggest that more than half of tourist spending can leave the island economy. That is a missed opportunity for the communities that host visitors. Models that use local workers, source local food, and back cultural preservation are more resilient and build local support.

What governments and industry are trying now

Policies now focus on two aims. Protect the places that people come to see, and make tourism work for residents as well as visitors. Some of the most visible tools involve pricing, access, and closures.

Visitor caps and timed entry reduce crowding at parks and heritage sites. Thailand rotates national park closures for recovery. Maya Bay limits numbers and closes seasonally. Japan is setting daily climbing limits on Mount Fuji and charging a small fee to support maintenance and safety. Cities are also testing targeted bans or physical barriers on narrow streets to give residents breathing room. Kyoto’s use of restricted lanes in Gion is one example.

Taxes and fees are expanding. Bali’s IDR 150,000 tourist levy funds upgrades. Kyoto raised its hotel tax, with higher rates for luxury stays. A growing number of attractions in Japan plan tiered pricing, where international visitors pay more than locals, with the difference reinvested in preservation. The approach is common at famous sites like the Taj Mahal and Wat Phra Kaew. It remains controversial but can fund toilets, waste treatment, and staff without closing doors entirely.

Infrastructure is also part of the response. Phuket is building an incinerator as its landfill fills up. Cities are investing in rail and cashless systems to move people more smoothly. Airport smart lanes and mobility platforms are expanding. These upgrades cost money and take time, which is why authorities are also leaning on behavior change and better information for visitors.

Clean travel campaigns, etiquette reminders, and light touch nudges are spreading. In Japan, playful trash bins that sing when used have helped reduce litter at busy sites. Hotel groups promote programs that connect guests with community projects. Palau has tested a points system that rewards responsible behavior with access to special experiences. Marketing is shifting from pure promotion to stewardship. The aim is to attract visitors who stay longer, spend locally, and explore beyond the busiest neighborhoods.

Standards and certifications are another frontier. There are nearly two hundred different sustainability labels for tourism, which confuses travelers and invites greenwashing. The Global Sustainable Tourism Council has pushed for clearer baselines and continuous improvement. In Europe, new rules will require companies to back environmental claims with evidence. That will ripple across global hotel brands and may raise the bar on plastics, water use, and biodiversity. Larger chains have reduced single-use plastics and set climate targets. Small and medium operators often need help and funding to make changes that guests can see.

There are models that go deeper. On private islands in Indonesia, some luxury retreats have used bamboo construction, solar power, and local farms. They report recycling or reusing all waste and funding conservation and schools nearby. Their pitch is simple. Tourism can support conservation, community, culture, and commerce at the same time when managed with care.

• Pricing and taxes that finance local upkeep and spread demand
• Seasonal closures and daily caps to protect fragile sites
• Timed tickets and reservation systems to smooth peaks
• Limits on short term rentals to protect housing for residents
• Waste and water investments to keep pace with arrivals
• Codes of conduct, warnings, and fines to protect culture and safety
• Cruise port scheduling to avoid sudden surges
• Marketing that highlights lesser known regions and shoulder seasons

How smart marketing and better certification can help

Data and storytelling can change travel patterns. A growing share of travelers say they avoid overrun places. Destinations can channel that interest by promoting nearby alternatives, giving real time crowd data, and explaining how to be a good guest. Airlines, rail companies, and booking platforms can support this shift with promos that nudge trips into shoulder months and lesser known towns.

There are pitfalls. If marketing simply shifts crowds from one alley to the next, the net result is the same. Demands on water, waste, and housing can migrate if planning and community input do not guide the change. Destination managers also face a funding dilemma. Many are paid through hotel taxes, which pushes a focus on occupancy rather than management. Transparency and auditing can help ensure taxes and fees are used for conservation and local services, not just advertising.

Certification should make choices easier, not harder. Clear, credible standards tied to measurable outcomes help consumers reward better operators. Labels that track water, energy, waste, and community benefit give guests a way to choose stays that match their values. That clarity can make stewardship a competitive advantage rather than a slogan.

What travelers can do right now

Individual choices matter. Visitors can enjoy better experiences and reduce pressure on host communities with a few simple decisions.

• Travel in shoulder seasons and midweek. Avoid peak holiday windows when possible.
• Book timed entry for popular sites and visit early or late in the day.
• Explore lesser known districts and nearby towns instead of the same five photo spots.
• Stay longer in one place. Fewer check-ins and transfers reduce strain and emissions.
• Respect local customs, dress codes, and quiet hours. Ask before taking photos of people.
• Choose licensed accommodation and spend at locally owned businesses.
• Carry a reusable bottle and bag. Cut single-use plastics and dispose of waste properly.
• Use public transport or walk where safe. Luggage forwarding can ease crowding on buses.
• Do not trespass on private lanes or sensitive habitats even if social media suggests it.
• Support tours and operators that hire locally and contribute to preservation.

Key Points

• Asia’s most famous destinations, from Kyoto to Bali and Phuket, are experiencing overtourism that strains residents and ecosystems.
• Drivers include post pandemic demand, cheap flights, social media exposure, and currency shifts that boost purchasing power.
• Visitor caps, seasonal closures, and fees are in place at sites like Mount Fuji and Maya Bay to protect nature and manage crowds.
• Bali introduced a tourist levy of IDR 150,000 per foreign visitor to fund infrastructure and culture.
• Kyoto has restricted access to some private lanes and imposed fines to curb intrusive behavior in Gion.
• Thailand welcomed more than 35 million visitors last year and is investing in waste management, including a new incinerator in Phuket.
• Boracay’s 2018 shutdown and strict reopening rules improved conditions, showing that strong action can work when enforced.
• Tiered pricing for residents and tourists is expanding in Japan to fund upkeep and better manage demand.
• Greenwashing remains a risk. The Global Sustainable Tourism Council promotes clearer standards, and new rules will require evidence for environmental claims.
• Travelers can help by shifting trips to shoulder seasons, respecting local norms, and choosing local, certified options that return value to communities.