Getting excited for next year’s travel? Now that it’s time to make 2025 travel plans, it’s also time to consider where NOT to go in 2025. As tourism continues to grow and the planet continues to face challenges like climate change and natural disasters, travelers have a responsibility to learn about sustainable travel choices and plan accordingly. With this in mind, Fodor’s Travel has revealed both its 2025 “Go List” of recommended destinations and its “No List” of places that might be best to avoid. These recommendations encourage us to embrace the joy of exploration while being mindful of tourism’s impact.
The Go List features 25 exciting, lesser-known destinations, such as Mérida, Mexico and the Marquesas Islands in French Polynesia. U.S. spots include Houston and Las Vegas for new developments in food and culture, South Dakota’s Badlands National Park, and Los Olivos, California. In addition to these places where we can truly enjoy the travel experience, there are places that are simply buckling under the weight of over-tourism.
Where Not To Go in 2025:
Fodor’s No List includes 15 destinations currently struggling under the weight of over-tourism and facing growing environmental and cultural challenges. The list is separated into two parts:
- The Perennial No List: Places that have been struggling for a while and where conditions have not improved, so they are still not recommended for travel. This list includes the following:
I would argue that it IS possible to visit overcrowded cities like Lisbon and Venice with thoughtful planning and the right (respectful) attitude. I traveled to Venice and Lisbon in the winter and found both cities to be excellent destinations with few crowds and plenty of opportunities to experience the culture and contribute to the local economy. Think slow travel in the off season: staying in each place for a few days, eating at small places recommended by locals, shopping locally-made products, and staying in boutique hotels in the center of the city. At all costs, avoid places like Barcelona and Venice in the summer and don’t visit them as day trips.
2. New destinations beginning to suffer: With recent increases in tourism, new destinations face an increasing threat from climate change and over-tourism. These should be avoided so the local character and community can be preserved.
Many of these newly impacted destinations are feeling the crush of tourists after exposure on social media. Ironically, they sometimes welcome promotion until the number of tourists suddenly increases without the proper infrastructure to support it. Another related issue is the increase in holiday homes/vacation rentals, which drives up prices for the locals. This makes it difficult for people to afford to rent or buy property, which in some cases drives people out of the area and causes employment problems. On the Isle of Skye, for example, many employers like hotels and restaurants cannot find enough workers since recent spikes in local prices have driven them out of the area.
According to Fodor’s, the new list of destinations to consider not visiting includes the following:
- Agrigento, Sicily
- British Virgin Islands
- Kerala, India
- Oaxaca City, Mexico
- Tokyo and Kyoto, Japan
- Scotland North Coast 500
I would add Scotland’s Isle of Skye to this list after visiting it a few years ago and noticing the impact tourism is now having on the island.
View the full lists at www.fodors.com/go-list/2025.
What do you think of this list of where not to go in 2025?
