Is mass tourism oppressive? How to travel responsibly and avoid congestion

In some places, mass tourism causes so many problems that holidays are no longer a pleasure. Fortunately, you can do something about it yourself.

On Thursday, Yle reported on Fodor’s list of places not to visit this year, published online by travel guides and travel information company Fodor’s.

The items on the list were no surprise. Barcelona, Mallorca and the Canary Islands in Spain, for example, have hit the headlines as local housing costs have risen due to tourism and protests have been made against it.

According to Fodors, travelling in traffic jams, among reluctant locals and in littered nature does not make for a good holiday.

1. Travel to a big city in the off-season

Large cities in the world are popular travel destinations. However, almost all have their own season, which makes it difficult to avoid congestion.

Choose the date of travel so that it does not hit the worst holiday season.

Remember that in some cities the current of tourists is year -round and you can never avoid congestion.

Carefully studied the event offer of the big city. Even a large city is even more burdened during major events.

2. Find out for yourself, so you won’t be disappointed or surprised

When thinking about the trip, read the Foreign Ministry’s travel reports, says Mäki-Fränti. The site tells about the circumstances in different countries and the information is also followed by Finnish tour operators.

In general, it is worth reading any recent information, for example, from the social media channels of the Finnish representation of the destination.

The information is also in place if something surprising happens on the site.

3. Choose a less familiar city destination

The mass tourism of the most popular big cities rises to the headlines a little, so think about traveling elsewhere.

Mäki-Fränti reminds us that in the end, there are very few very congested cities and areas in the world.

For example, most European countries and cities have a lot of space for travelers.

When choosing an item, you can and should be bold.

4. Find a brand new pearl

The world is full of unexpected pearls, or objects that do not have a tourist rush. Instead of known, it may be refreshing to choose a whole new destination.

According to Mäki-Fränti, worth visiting, for example, in the Balkan region.

There is a lot to see in Albania, Bulgaria, Romania and Montenegro.

They are just evolving into significant tourist countries.