There’s a particular kind of photograph every family seems to have tucked away somewhere. A badly framed beach shot. Someone squinting against impossible sunlight. Parents smiling stiffly against picturesque mountains on a vacation they never expected to take. The format of travel memories may have evolved, glossy albums traded for endless camera rolls and cloud storage, but the instinct behind them remains the same: to freeze a place in time before life moves on. Increasingly, though, travellers are confronting a more unsettling possibility. What if it’s the places themselves disappearing first?

Across the world, destinations once marketed as untouched paradises are now grappling with overtourism, rising temperatures, disappearing coastlines, water shortages, coral bleaching and unpredictable weather patterns. Ironically, the urgency to “see it before it changes forever” may be accelerating the pressure on these destinations. What was once a niche environmental anxiety has now evolved into “last-chance tourism”. The timing is hardly accidental. The years following COVID-19 unleashed a wave of revenge tourism, supercharged further by social media’s algorithmic travel economy. You’re just a scroll away from entire itineraries full of aesthetic cafés and hyper-visible bucket-list moments. Think cathartic baths and mountaintop swings in Bali, coffees at Hanoi Train Street and more.

But modern tourism poses a more uncomfortable and pressing question. When does tourism stop helping a destination survive and begin contributing to its decline? According to the iconic Masai Mara National Reserve’s official statistics, they clocked at least 300,000 tourists annually in 2023. Ballooning each year, the government collected revenues of $43.4 million in FY 2024/25. Unsurprisingly, most throng to catch a glimpse of the Great Migration, leading to inflated park entry fees and overcrowding with jeeps full of raucous tourists angling for a better shot. Human-induced climate change has also altered rainfall patterns, leading to historic changes in the crossing pattern.

According to Jane, a driver and tour guide based in Kenya, tourism has certainly left its mark, more so during the aforementioned peak season. “People flock from all over to watch the animals crossing, only for them not to do so on that particular day. The social media factor is then good in the sense that it’s now helped dispel the myth and avoid overtourism to an extent,” she explains.

Another popular destination witnessing rapid climate change is the Maldives. The waterfront villas, translucent waters and private pools with a floating breakfast have long been a haven for couples and families. In the first quarter of 2026 alone, total arrivals reached 633,769, with 2025 closing at a record 2.25 million tourists, according to a government report. The world’s lowest-lying nation, the Maldives has almost 80% of its land just one metre above sea level, making rising levels urgently worrying. While tourism contributes massively to the GDP, it comes at a hefty cost. Coastlines have reshaped, and coral reefs are not expected to last to the end of the century. Over 90% of resorts have reported beach erosion, and 60% have experienced infrastructure damage linked to climate change and development practices. The paradox is difficult to ignore. Climate change is reshaping the destinations, while social media is reshaping them culturally. By adding visibility, once-niche destinations are now becoming endless viral pilgrimages instead.

THE INFLUENCER EFFECT
But for Wafa Yahya, a travel influencer and travel business owner, it’s the demand that drives supply. “Clients often come to me with a saved folder full of TikToks and Reels, wanting to recreate a specific shot or moment they saw online. And that’s actually a great starting point for inspiration. But it does require a lot of expectation management on my end. Explaining the reality of the crowds, the actual costs, the logistics that the 15-second clip conveniently left out.” As someone with a foot in both waters, she highlights Venice and Bali as other “endangered” spots and now actively looks to divert customers to more authentic locations. Both destinations indicate a wider global phenomenon of governments working to actively control tourism.

Having repeatedly been at risk of being placed on the UNESCO List of World Heritage in Danger, Venice is at a critical juncture between mass tourism and climate fragility. Receiving anywhere between 20 and 30 million visitors annually, the city has seen both rising sea levels and extreme flooding events. While Venice has sought to cap day trips to regulate footfall, Bali has introduced tourism fees and even issued a development moratorium in overcrowded areas. However, it’s not just the legacy destinations under threat. The “hidden gem” Reels taking over most audience feeds have now turned the spotlight on Asian countries, from Vietnam to Thailand, Sri Lanka, Oman and more have been dominating travel bucket lists.

THE ASIA FACTOR
There’s a rise in travellers wanting something unique, shares Ipshita Sharma from SCN Travels & More. “Over the last 5–10 years, [the biggest growth has been in unexplored] destinations, especially the Stan countries like Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan, along with Sri Lanka. Travellers are increasingly drawn to experiences that feel different from the standard tourist checklist, whether that’s exploring Silk Road cities like Samarkand, staying in traditional yurts by alpine lakes, etc. I’d say around 60–70% of that growth has been strongly nature-oriented, driven by mountains, lakes, culture, and immersive outdoor experiences rather than just city breaks.”

Lower travel and living costs, cultural curiosity, and the chance to avoid oversaturated spots have presumably fuelled the trend. However, the evident infrastructural inability to keep up with tourists is quickly catching up in most of these destinations.

For Kaunain Fatima, a travel content creator, hope comes from the locals themselves. “On my first visit [to Sri Lanka] a couple of years ago, certain activities, including elephant-related experiences, were being promoted quite openly as part of cultural tourism. On a more recent trip, however, the tour operator politely told me they’re no longer offering it because they’ve become more aware of the ethical concerns.” The onus of climate conscientiousness still largely falls on the agents and operators, Sharma notes.

While travellers are amenable to greener options, “Budget usually leads the decision. If a greener option is similarly priced, people are all for it. But if sustainability costs significantly more, most will still choose what works better for their wallet,” she says.

THE CLIMATE COST
The rise in overtourism has more hidden costs than climate and logistics. From Venice to Bali, the shift from tourism promotion to tourism management has been palpable. Extreme weather events have begun to inform travel options, with “cool-cationing” now another burgeoning trend. An oft-dismissed but concerning part of travel is insurance, with the underwriting unsurprisingly affected by a warming world. Travel insurance doesn’t automatically cover everything weather-related, a misconception Toshita Chauhan, Chief Business Officer, Policybazaar.ae, often encounters.

More importantly, “certain regions are attracting greater scrutiny from our underwriting teams. Southern Europe, particularly Greece, Spain, and Turkey, during summers faces elevated wildfire risk. Parts of North America are flagged for hurricane activity. What drives this is a combination of historical claims data, meteorological trends, and satellite-based risk modelling. Premiums in these corridors are being recalibrated accordingly,” says Chauhan.

As climate volatility grows, customers are left with no choice but to accept what’s being handed out. With destinations sitting on the brink of being near uninsurable, the introduction of tiered protection and hefty premium schemes, flight delays and weather disruptions make travel feel tenuous at best, unachievable at worst.

AN ANTIDOTE TO OVERTOURISM?
Perhaps the future of travel isn’t about seeing less of the world – but seeing it differently. Slow travel offers one possible way forward. Spending more time at one destination, using alternative modes of public travel, travelling off-season, and, of course, rejecting algorithm-approved itineraries. But even that solution comes layered with privilege. The ability to take extended holidays, swap flights for slower rail journeys, or spend weeks immersing oneself in a single destination remains inaccessible to many travellers navigating limited annual leave, rising costs and increasingly expensive travel infrastructure. The responsibility then cannot fall solely on individual travellers, while governments, airlines, hospitality giants and digital platforms continue incentivising mass movement at scale.

Still, amid the noise of viral itineraries and disappearing coastlines, there are signs of a quieter shift. Travellers are asking harder questions. Operators are rethinking what they offer. Destinations are beginning to prioritise preservation over unchecked marketing. The family holiday photograph, at least, will never disappear. But perhaps the next era of travel will ask us to think less about capturing a place at its most beautiful, and more about whether we left it capable of surviving long after we’ve gone.

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