10 Tourist Destinations That Are TERRIBLE Now

10 Tourist Destinations That Are TERRIBLE Now

Walking around in Venice can be a challenge and no wonder. The city gets about 30 million tourists every year. Welcome to Watch Mojo. And today we’re looking at once iconic locations that drew millions of visitors, but have since become nightmares in disguise. Until recently, 3 and a half thousand people visited the beach every day. In those crowds, it felt a lot less like heaven. Mount Fuji, Japan. From inspiring poetry and art to being a destination of pilgrimage, Mount Fuji has been an enduring symbol of Japan for centuries. But the mighty peaks of the dormant volcano now feature congested trails, accumulated trash, and waste facilities struggling to keep up with tens of thousands of inexperienced and careless hikers. The situation has become so dire that officials have even called it a garbage mountain. Amid the noise and litter, Fuji’s spiritual experience has gone missing. Although the Japanese government has introduced new regulations, problems persist. From afar, Fuji remains breathtaking. But upon closer look, its slopes reveal the downsides of tourism overload. Santorini, Greece. Even amidst the beauty of the Greek islands, this one stands apart. Tourism has its pros and cons. On one side, it brings muchneeded business to a venue. On the other, when unchecked, it can cause irreversible damage. The island of Santorini in Greece has learned this the hard way. The cliffside villages, whitewashed houses, and spectacular sunsets make it one of the most photographed destinations in the world. But mass tourism has resulted in thousands of passengers overwhelming the narrow streets. Visitors often find themselves stuck in gridlock. Soaring prices have pushed many experiences out of reach for ordinary Greeks. Meanwhile, locals find themselves left behind and their culture sidelined. An undeniably stunning place is now a cautionary tale of beauty overwhelmed by popularity. We need to to put a stop into building new hotels and new hotel beds and new Airbnbs. The dead cities, Syria. He can’t believe that some of the priceless ancient ruins of the site have been lost forever. Scattered across northwestern Syria are over 700 Byzantine era settlements. From stone churches to houses and agricultural estates, the settlements now stand as dead cities. Despite the passing of centuries, the ruins were so well preserved that they offered a window into ancient life in the region, attracting scholars, archaeologists, and adventurous travelers. This once incredible heritage has now been ravaged by war. Since the outbreak of the Syrian civil war in 2011, shelling, looting, and instability has made the region dangerous or impossible to visit. Some ruins have been damaged beyond recognition, while others remain neglected. Once a treasure trove in time, the dead cities of Syria now symbolize cultural loss and the historical cost of modern conflict. We need combined local and international efforts to restore what can be restored. Vroia, Cyprus. Another resort turned abandoned town. Verosia was once a glamorous Mediterranean hot spot, attracting global celebrities such as Elizabeth Taylor. Veria’s golden beaches and luxury hotels were the craze of the 60s and early ‘7s. Then in 1974, Turkey invaded Cypress. The very first paratroopers are now hitting Cypress soil. Residents fled overnight. The once thriving resorts town has remained largely empty ever since. Hotels stand frozen in time, windows broken, and streets reclaimed by weeds and silence. Continued political disarray has left Verroia in limbo. This eerie ghost town is no longer the playground of the elite, but Europe’s most haunting example of sudden abandonment. The north has been under Turkish occupation for almost 50 years. All moves towards reunification to date have failed. Salt and Sea, California. It’s hard to imagine today, but this place used to be a bustling tourist destination. Now, it’s kind of where California’s water goes to die. An accidental sea turned resort hotspot is now dead. The Salt and Sea was never supposed to exist. It formed by chance in 1905 when the Colorado River flooded irrigation canals. Soon, it became a major vacation destination. Once known as the California Riviera, the Sultan Sea boasted an inland coastline thronged by beachgoers. However, decades of pollution from agricultural runoff found its way into Sultan, causing salinity and toxins to rise. Birds and fish died on mass. The smell of decay and toxic dust continues to permeate the air today. Entire towns around the man-made lake were abandoned. They now stand as eerie ghost towns. Once hailed a miracle in the desert, the salt and sea is in reality an environmental disaster. Couta and Semenyak, Bali. As travelers flock back to Bali after the pandemic in record numbers, the impact of over tourism is starker than ever. Another paradise, another venue to disturb. That has been the pattern of modern tourism. Couta and Semenyak in Bali are the next set of victims to add to this list. Bali has long been associated with tranquility, spirituality, and postcard perfect beaches. Much of that is now a thing of the past. Beautiful and serene areas like Couta and Semenyak are now choked with traffic and throngs of nightlife seeking visitors. Beach pollution, littered streets, and water shortages exacerbate the ongoing environmental damage. Social media has turned sacred ceremonies and traditions into photo ops for influencers. Tourism has changed what was once peaceful into chaos. Time Square, New York. Tourists flock to it while locals often try and fail to avoid it. From jazz clubs to Broadway theaters and neon lights, New York City’s Time Square gives meaning to the word flashy. But flashy does not always translate to a positive. The square is now the epitome of a tourist trap. Enormous digital billboards tower overhead. Chain restaurants and themed souvenir shops dominate the streets. Costumed characters harass visitors for tips. Crowds have grown so dense that even walking feels more like navigating a human traffic jam. For New Yorkers, the square no longer exudes the cultural grit and character that made it so iconic. Rather, it represents everything they wish to avoid. A gaudy, overpriced, overcrowded spectacle. Mount Everest, Nepal. It’s the traffic jam at top the world. An image now emblematic of a deadly new normal. As Earth’s highest peak, Mount Everest has always been viewed as the ultimate challenge for climbers. But in recent years, this challenge has gained a darker reputation. Commercialization of expeditions to the mountain has led to traffic jams in death zones where climbers quue for hours in freezing conditions. The deadly bottleneck has contributed to several accidents and fatalities. Human waste, discarded gear, and oxygen canisters now litter the slopes of the mountain. Nepal issued a record 381 permits to foreigners, and they also required that each foreigner hire a sherpa guide. So that meant that there were 800 people attempting the mountain this year. The bodies of climbers who never made it back also remain frozen along the routes. Once a dream reserved for the boldest adventurers, the summits of Everest have transformed into a disturbing spectacle of overcrowding and exploitation. The mountains majesty is now overshadowed by the greater peaks of human negligence. Maya Bay, Thailand. Until recently, 3 and a half thousand people visited the beach every day. In those crowds, it felt a lot less like heaven. Global fame arrived on the shores of Thailand’s Pee Islands when its stunning cove, Maya Bay, featured in Leonardo DiCaprio’s The Beach. [Music] Unfortunately, the same fame would also lead to the site’s downfall. The Cove received thousands of daily visitors with longtail boats and speedboats dropping anchor directly onto its coral reefs. The result was catastrophic. Elevated coral bleaching, pollution, and erosion pushed the Thai government in 2018 to make a dramatic decision. The bay would be closed indefinitely. It was now a paradise destroyed. Although the cove has since reopened with limited entry, its ecosystem is still in recovery mode. Once a hidden paradise, Maya Bay symbolizes the dangers of loving a natural world to death. So tourists can only view the famous beach from a distance. For those who’ve traveled across the world, I suppose it must be a disappointment. Before we continue, be sure to subscribe to our channel and ring the bell to get notified about our latest videos. You have the option to be notified for occasional videos or all of them. If you’re on your phone, make sure you go into settings and switch on your notifications. Venice, Italy. Walking around in Venice can be a challenge. And no wonder the city gets about 30 million tourists every year. It’s been long considered one of the most romantic cities in the world. Today, that has been eroded by the overwhelming tide of mass tourism. With every passing year, the fragile lagoon city endures the presence of millions of tourists arriving on cruise ships, straining the city’s infrastructure. Mass tourism has also resulted in notoriously high prices for meals and lodging. Quantity has begun to exceed quality. But that’s not the only problem. Rising sea levels and flooding have compounded environmental pressures on the city. This has resulted in a local exodus of Venetians, leaving behind a city that feels more like a theme park than a real community. Activists from vanessia.com put a monitor in the city center that displays the current number of residents in Venice’s historic center. The figure has dropped in recent decades from 100,000 to less than 50,000 people. Which of these once amazing destinations would you still dare to visit? And which ones are you crossing off your bucket list? Let us know in the comments.

Paradise lost! Join us as we explore iconic destinations that have fallen from grace. From Venice’s overwhelming cruise ships to Mount Everest’s deadly traffic jams and Maya Bay’s environmental devastation, these places show the dark side of tourism. Once beloved for their beauty and cultural significance, they’re now cautionary tales of overcrowding, pollution, and exploitation. Our countdown includes Mount Fuji’s “garbage mountain,” Santorini’s gridlocked streets, Syria’s war-ravaged Dead Cities, the abandoned resort of Varosha, California’s toxic Salton Sea, Bali’s chaotic tourist zones, Times Square’s commercialized trap, and more! Which of these once-amazing destinations would you still dare to visit? Let us know in the comments!

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