We all have memories of epic vacations to incredible places we forever cherish. Sometimes, it’s possible to return to certain areas and enjoy sequel trips as great as the original. Other times, you’re shocked by how much has changed.
Here’s a collection of beloved tourist destinations that are not what they used to be. Let’s see what’s changed and how you can handle all these changes.
1. Venice, Italy
International travelers have visited Venice for decades to experience the city’s historic charm and plentiful canals. All this popularity has gradually taken its toll: Over 35 million people visit Venice yearly, and this small island city can’t handle it.
Local authorities have responded with a tourist tax, though this €5 entry tax has been postponed to 2025. In the meantime, try visiting during the fall/winter off-season and give yourself more than a day to see more of the city.
2. Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
If you have relatives out west, they’ve probably told you stories of when they lived like royalty while spending like paupers in Vegas. Yet in the past three decades, casino operators have phased out cheap buffets, free lounge shows, and affordable theme park rides to make room for celebrity chef restaurants, top-dollar professional sports teams, and uber-exclusive nightclubs and pool parties. Vegas can still be fun—but don’t expect many cheap thrills.
3. Machu Picchu, Peru
Machu Picchu has a reputation as one of the world’s great wonders. Now, it really shows. Machu Picchu draws over 1.4 million visitors annually, but the ancient Incan site can’t handle that many people.
The Peruvian government now requires tickets to control the crowds, and it pays to seek out tours run by local guides who can help you secure entry to the site and show you nearby gems like the enchanting city of Cusco.
4. Dublin, Ireland
As recently as 20 years ago, travelers hailed Dublin as a more affordable alternative to pricey European mega-cities like London, Paris, and Frankfurt. Though Dublin’s still not the most expensive city in Europe, its average cost of visiting now exceeds that of famously expensive cities like Amsterdam, Barcelona, and Milan. While Dublin’s still an enjoyable city to experience, don’t come here expecting a good time on a handful of dimes.
5. Los Cabos, Baja California Sur, Mexico
It’s wild to imagine Cabo San Lucas as a quiet fishing village, but that was the reality here a century ago and even half a century ago. In 1974, when the Mexican government embarked on its plan to transform Cabo into a major tourism destination, it quickly succeeded.
Nowadays, even American expats talk about how Cabo has become a sort of “Las Vegas by the Sea” with its abundance of luxury resorts, celebrity chef restaurants, and rowdy nightclubs.
6. Beirut, Lebanon
Beirut was once known as the Paris of the Middle East due to its gloriously beautiful neighborhoods and magical landscapes. While Beirut remains one of the most naturally beautiful cities on the Eastern Mediterranean coast, the last four decades of civil war and economic crises have taken their toll on all of Lebanon, including Beirut. It’s still possible for Americans to travel here, but it’s not that easy anymore.
7. Bali, Indonesia
Since the 1960s, the Indonesian government has made concerted efforts to promote tourism in Bali. By the 2000s, those efforts paid off handsomely as a steady flow of Australian and East Asian tourists poured onto the island.
Once Western media projects like the 2010 movie Eat Pray Love got this island on American tourists’ radar, Bali exploded in popularity. While enjoying an affordable getaway here is still possible, you’ll need to do much more homework to avoid the tourist traps.
8. Santorini, Greece
Santorini has always charmed visitors with its iconic blue roofs and blue Mediterranean Sea views. But more recently, visitors have had less than charming visits when they’ve come during cruise port days and peak summer party season.
If you want to visit Santorini, consider off-season trips to avoid the massive summer crowds, and stay longer than a day to give yourself more time to see more of the island.
9. Antalya, Turkey
There was a time when Antalya and the Turkish Riviera were considered less crowded and less expensive alternatives to the more popular Mediterranean coastal resort towns. But now, Antalya is that mega-popular Mediterranean coastal resort town: In 2023, Euromonitor International named Antalya the world’s number four destination for international arrivals, with 16.5 million travelers visiting that year!
10. Aspen, Colorado, USA
Late in the 19th century, Aspen gained fame and fortune thanks to its rich silver mines, but the 1893 Panic led to a complete economic collapse that eventually forced drastic economic redevelopment.
By the mid-20th century, Aspen embraced skiing, and this Rocky Mountain town gained a reputation as the ultimate winter wonderland. Since then, Aspen has gradually become an outrageously expensive ski town for Hollywood elites and Wall Street billionaires.
11. Bora Bora, French Polynesia
Back in the day, Bora Bora was known as the ultimate exotic, faraway destination way out in the South Pacific. Today, it still has a reputation as a faraway destination, but not so much for its location, as it’s easier than ever for Americans to fly to Polynesia. Instead, Bora Bora feels out of reach for most travelers because it’s become a wildly expensive destination that caters more to Hollywood A-listers.
12. Dubrovnik, Croatia
Even though Dubrovnik hasn’t suffered the long history of overtourism that other European destinations on this list have grappled with, Croatia’s rapid growth in international tourism has resulted in this once charming “off the beaten path” coastal city getting overrun by tourists. To avoid getting lost in that maddening crowd, try avoiding Dubrovnik during the summer peak season and head to beach towns like Zadar and Pula, which tend to stay less crowded.
13. Acapulco, Guerrero, Mexico
There was once a time when Los Cabos and Cancún were not Mexico’s most popular tourist destinations. In fact, Frank Sinatra sang a song about Acapulco, Elvis Presley starred in the 1963 feature film Fun in Acapulco, and all the Hollywood attention got many more Americans to dream of an Acapulco vacation.
But when the Mexican Drug War began to escalate early in the 21st century, cartel violence essentially killed international tourism to this famed beach town.
14. Amsterdam, Netherlands
Like several other top European destinations, Amsterdam struggles with overtourism. Unlike most other places, Amsterdam did the unthinkable: They launched a “Stay Away” campaign in 2023 to convince tourists NOT to visit! But in 2024, Amsterdam has switched gears: They’re willing to welcome visitors again, encouraging visitors to “see the city like a local” while they crack down on souvenir shops and close their port to cruise ships.
15. Orlando, Florida, USA
Once upon a time, in a land not that far away for many Americans, parents didn’t have to wish upon stars to make their kids’ dreams come true at Disney World. But now that a Disney World trip has become astronomically expensive (think $6,000+ for a family of four for one week!), most American families need to make a whole lot of magic happen to take their kids to the Magic Kingdom.