From Vatican City to Bahrain: Top 8 Tourist Destinations That Are Way Too Overcrowded

For many travelers, visiting some of the most iconic places in the world is a possibility, but overtourism can make thoughts of travel become frustrating. Below are 2025’s top 8 impacted tourist destinations where even amazing sights are sometimes blocked or obscured by the mindset of “name value,” or “everyone else is doing it.”

First, Vatican City, which is crazy for a place with under 900 residents to pull in upwards of 7 million visitors a year. Expect the Vatican Museums and St. Peter’s Basilica to be filled with tourists. In the Pyrenees, Andorra, which is the skiing and shopping capital, sees around 10 million tourists a year, with just over 82,000 residents. San Marino is similar, with a medieval domain, 2 million visitors a year, and around 33,000 residents. 

The Caribbean is not immune to excess tourists, with the Bahamas and Saint Kitts and Nevis reporting a troubling ratio of tourists to residents. The Bahamas averages over 11 million tourists, and Saint Kitts and Nevis are close to 900,000 tourists for their 47,000 residents. Even after discredited reports for that country’s possible shady tourism practices, Antigua and Barbuda have seen over 1.1 million tourists, for their 93,000 residents. 

Bahrain in the Middle East is hosting almost 15 million tourists a year. That’s about 15 tourists for every person. Finally, with almost 40,000 residents, for Monaco to be hosting over 340,000 tourists! 

Although the idea of possibly visiting these overcrowded top travel destinations is still magical—the authors would recommend to travel to these places off-peak or perhaps even think of alternatives altogether so your magic emotions remain intact.

 This article is intended for informational purposes only. The travel trends and crowd levels mentioned are based on reports and estimates that may vary seasonally. Readers are encouraged to research updated travel advisories and local guidelines before planning their trips.