
Planning your 2023 travel? Skip these places in order to save them
Fodor's, the popular travel company that built its business on telling you where to go and where to stay, eat and drink once you're there
Fodor's, the popular travel company that built its business on telling you where to go and where to stay, eat and drink once you're there, has just released a list of places around the world you should skip in 2023.
The "No List" focuses on global tourism's impact on three key areas: unique and sensitive natural environments increasingly degraded by tourists, "Cultural hotspots" facing overcrowding and strained housing and infrastructure, and destinations in the midst of water crises that already heavily burden local communities.
The pandemic-induced downtown in tourism gave locals, environmental activists, and government officials in places like Thailand the chance to witness something seemingly unimaginable: the revival of their local ecologies and communities that had been devastated by the social and environmental costs attributed to the industry.
Amidst global droughts and depleting reserves, water is central to understanding some of the pushback from local communities against mass tourism.
The proliferation of these properties, particularly in densely populated cities like Amsterdam and Barcelona, has become one of the most controversial issues not only among housing advocates and travel experts, but also official marketing and tourism officials.
Some destinations are seeking to make the most of the economic benefits of tourism while minimizing its cultural and environmental impacts simply by restricting travel to "High value" tourists - i.e, those with more disposable income.
The big takeaway from Fodor's list is that travel can be a force for good - both for nature and for local communities.