Top 9 Countries Where Tourists Feel They're No Longer Welcomed Warmly

Major global tourist destinations, including Spain, Japan, and Venice, are experiencing significant anti-tourism sentiment and implementing restrictive measures like fees and deterrent campaigns due to overtourism, which has strained local infrastructure and driven up housing costs. This trend, coupled with geopolitical tensions impacting travel to regions like Turkey and Russia, signals a fundamental shift in the global tourism landscape, posing regulatory and operational challenges for the hospitality and travel sectors and potentially altering investment attractiveness in affected regions.

Analysis

Major global tourist destinations are experiencing significant anti-tourism sentiment, driven by record visitor numbers and their impact on local quality of life. Spain, for instance, saw 42.5 million tourists in H1 2024, an 11.5% increase from 2019, leading to protests and calls for tourists to "go home." Similarly, Japan recorded a record 36.87 million international visitors in 2024, a 47.1% year-over-year increase, overwhelming local infrastructure.

This surge in tourism has prompted direct governmental and local responses, including Amsterdam's "Stay Away" campaign and Venice's €5 day-tripper fee introduced in April 2024. Kyoto elected a new mayor on an anti-overtourism platform and subsequently banned tourists from private alleys in Gion, reflecting growing local frustration over housing costs and infrastructure strain. These regulatory actions signal a fundamental shift in how destinations balance tourism revenue with resident well-being.

Beyond overtourism, geopolitical tensions are significantly impacting travel to several regions, creating additional headwinds for the global tourism sector. Turkey faces travel disruptions due to political unrest, while Iran, North Korea, and Russia present bureaucratic hurdles and security concerns for international visitors. This dual pressure from overtourism and geopolitical instability underscores a pessimistic outlook for predictable and unrestricted global travel.

Key Decisions for Investors

• Investors should re-evaluate exposure to traditional overtourism hotspots and destinations prone to geopolitical instability, as regulatory risks and local sentiment are increasing.
• Consider diversifying portfolios towards travel and leisure companies with business models resilient to local restrictions or those operating in emerging, less saturated markets.
• Monitor policy developments in key tourist regions, such as new fees, access restrictions, or political stability indicators, which could impact revenue streams and operational costs for travel-related businesses.