World's 15 most overcrowded tourist destinations revealed - is one of your favorite vacation spots among them?
Since most people travel during the summer season, some of the world's most beautiful destinations are also its most overcrowded.
A new ranking by Go2Africa has revealed the top 15 most overcrowded tourist destinations in the world — where the number of visitors dramatically outweighs the local population.
It highlights a growing global trend: picturesque destinations are feeling the strain of overtourism.
As travel rebounds worldwide, congestion of tourists raises questions about sustainability, local impact and the delicate balance between welcome and overwhelm.
To figure out which countries made this list, Go2Africa compared each country's total number of visitors per year to its population data by analyzing tourism figures from national tourist boards and reports.
Their findings revealed that Vatican City — the world's smallest country by both area and population — tops the list.
Despite the population of this sovereign city-state within Rome, Italy being only 882 residents, the spiritual heart of Catholicism welcomes an astounding 6.8 million tourists annually.
That equates to a staggering 7,709.75 visitors for every local — a clear reflection of the city-state's immense religious and historical draw.
Nestled in the Pyrenees between France and Spain, the mountainous principality of Andorra takes second place.
Best known for its ski resorts and tax-free shopping, this south-western European country sees around 9.6 million tourists each year.
With a population of just under 82,000, that means there are 117.16 tourists for every resident.
Another European mountainous microstate, San Marino, ranks third.
With only 33,581 residents, it attracts 2 million tourists annually.
Known for its medieval architecture and scenic hilltop views, San Marino hosts 59.56 tourists per local.
In fourth place is the Bahamas, a sun-soaked Caribbean paradise.
Although home to just over 400,000 people, the island nation welcomes more than 11.2 million visitors each year — equivalent to 27.96 tourists per resident.
Its crystal-clear waters and sandy beaches remain a major pull for international travelers.
The tropical Caribbean country, Saint Kitts and Nevis, rounded out the top five. It has a population of 46,843 and draws in 875,085 visitors annually. The dual-island nation sees 18.68 tourists per resident. Its lush scenery and tranquil beaches have made it a celebrity favorite — most famously with Princess Diana.
These findings highlight the growing impact of tourism not just on infrastructure, but also on local communities.
While scenic and culturally rich destinations remain irresistible to global travelers, the figures reveal the need for sustainable tourism strategies to preserve these special places for generations to come. The top 15 most overcrowded travel destinations:
1. Vatican City
Local population: 882
Tourists per year: 6,800,000
2. Andorra
Local population: 81,938
Tourists per year: 9,600,000
3. San Marino
Local population: 33,581
Tourists per year: 2,000,000
4. Bahamas
Local population: 401,283
Tourists per year: 11,220,000
5. Saint Kitts and Nevis
Local population: 46,843
Tourists per year: 875,085
6. Antigua and Barbuda
Local population: 93,772
Tourists per year: 1,154,236
7. Bahrain
Local population: 1,607,049
Tourists per year: 14,900,000
8. Monaco
Local population: 38,956
Tourists per year: 340,000
9. Malta
Local population: 563,443
Tourists per year: 3,563,618
10. Hong Kong
Local population: 7,414,909
Tourists per year: 44,500,000
11. Iceland
Local population: 393,396
Tourists per year: 2,287,341
12. Croatia
Local population: 3,875,325
Tourists per year: 21,300,000
13. Barbados
Local population: 282,467
Tourists per year: 1,520,740
14. Switzerland
Local population: 8,921,981
Tourists per year: 42,800,000
15. Grenada
Local population: 117,081
Tourists per year: 504,000
Originally published as World's 15 most overcrowded tourist destinations revealed - is one of your favorite vacation spots among them?
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The Advertiser
7 hours ago
- The Advertiser
Newcastle to become state's first berthing for luxury superyachts
The Newcastle Cruising Yacht Club will be the beneficiary of $5 million in state funding to expand its berthing marina to accommodate up eight luxe superyachts in a move that it promises will be a boon for the regional tourism economy. Club CEO Paul O'Rourke said there were about 30 superyachts owned in Australia, but the country was a premier destination for repair and vessel maintenance in the Southern Hemisphere such that it was expected to account for some eight per cent of the global market by the end of the year, amounting to around 533 vessels. The funding is expected to be put towards building 200 metres of dedicated marina berth that is specifically designed to accommodate the larger vessels, with extra weight and power facilities. The move to expand the Newcastle marina on Hannell Street is expected to put Newcastle in a competitive stead with Queensland, long regarded as the Australian home for superyacht construction, and will represent the only such dedicated maintenance berth in NSW. Mr O'Rourke said, while Newcastle would not build the vessels, positioning the city as a maintenance hub for the yachts that are estimated to cost between $2 million and $5 million a year to run, would unlock the Pacific for European travellers and see tourism spending flow through the Hunter. "There are probably over 30 superyachts in Australia at the moment," he said. "But the key is there are 100 coming. There are a lot of superyachts in Europe that all want to come to Australia and the Pacific, and at the moment we don't have the Pacific facilities." "We regularly get phone calls from boats out in Tahiti that want to come to Australia and park up. We haven't got the facility yet." Minister for the Hunter Yasmin Catley said the NSW Government's investment of $5 million, to which the Newcastle yacht club would add 20 per cent of the overall $6 million build costs, made sense for the state's second city. "We are a maritime city," she said. "So, it makes sense for us to can have those yachts that can travel from as far far as Europe on their way up to Northern Queensland and to further places into the Pacific." "This will become their go-to stopover." The yacht club's Commodore, Barry Kelly, said the completed projected which is estimated to be about two years away, would be equipped to provide "medium-level" maintenance to the vessels, replacing parts and servicing engines and complex onboard systems, that would generate jobs in the region. "Superyachts spend about four times as much in the region as they do on the berthing," he said. "Our spend on maintaining this facility in the last financial year was about $800,000." The funding has been carved out of the NSW Regional Development Trust, which Regional NSW Minister Tara Moriarty said was to prop up merit-based projects that would create jobs and economic boons for regional economies. "We have made a big deal out of this new fund and this new way of investing in our regions," she said. "This is really going to make a big difference for the local economy." The $70 million Callisto - believed to have been the largest and most expensive yacht to visit Newcastle - was spotted in the marina in 2019. lt is owned by Barbados billionaire Derrick Smith who was reportedly a co-owner of the renowned Coolmore Stud, which has operations in the Upper Hunter, Ireland and the US. The Australian superyacht sector is estimated to have a fleet value of over $7.5 billion, with annual maintenance expenditure of over $575 million. Operational expenditure in Australia, including crew wages and berthing, is worth about $400 million. A proposal document for the project, seen by the Newcastle Herald, lists more than 400 vessels over 30 metres based in the Asia Pacific. The industry is said to support about 14,500 full-time jobs, paying about $1.2 billion in wages and salaries, and with Sydney reaching capacity, overflow was being directed to Queensland and Victoria. The yacht club's pitch to secure funding amounted to positioning Newcastle to cater to provide a state's-first and one-stop shop for the super rich to dock and have their vessels serviced, estimated to represent up to 1400 jobs. According to Superyachts Australia, the number of luxury vessels in NSW has increased by 52 per cent since 2021, with 17 accounted for in 2023. The economic impact of a visiting vessel was estimated to be about $1.34 million that year. The Newcastle Cruising Yacht Club will be the beneficiary of $5 million in state funding to expand its berthing marina to accommodate up eight luxe superyachts in a move that it promises will be a boon for the regional tourism economy. Club CEO Paul O'Rourke said there were about 30 superyachts owned in Australia, but the country was a premier destination for repair and vessel maintenance in the Southern Hemisphere such that it was expected to account for some eight per cent of the global market by the end of the year, amounting to around 533 vessels. The funding is expected to be put towards building 200 metres of dedicated marina berth that is specifically designed to accommodate the larger vessels, with extra weight and power facilities. The move to expand the Newcastle marina on Hannell Street is expected to put Newcastle in a competitive stead with Queensland, long regarded as the Australian home for superyacht construction, and will represent the only such dedicated maintenance berth in NSW. Mr O'Rourke said, while Newcastle would not build the vessels, positioning the city as a maintenance hub for the yachts that are estimated to cost between $2 million and $5 million a year to run, would unlock the Pacific for European travellers and see tourism spending flow through the Hunter. "There are probably over 30 superyachts in Australia at the moment," he said. "But the key is there are 100 coming. There are a lot of superyachts in Europe that all want to come to Australia and the Pacific, and at the moment we don't have the Pacific facilities." "We regularly get phone calls from boats out in Tahiti that want to come to Australia and park up. We haven't got the facility yet." Minister for the Hunter Yasmin Catley said the NSW Government's investment of $5 million, to which the Newcastle yacht club would add 20 per cent of the overall $6 million build costs, made sense for the state's second city. "We are a maritime city," she said. "So, it makes sense for us to can have those yachts that can travel from as far far as Europe on their way up to Northern Queensland and to further places into the Pacific." "This will become their go-to stopover." The yacht club's Commodore, Barry Kelly, said the completed projected which is estimated to be about two years away, would be equipped to provide "medium-level" maintenance to the vessels, replacing parts and servicing engines and complex onboard systems, that would generate jobs in the region. "Superyachts spend about four times as much in the region as they do on the berthing," he said. "Our spend on maintaining this facility in the last financial year was about $800,000." The funding has been carved out of the NSW Regional Development Trust, which Regional NSW Minister Tara Moriarty said was to prop up merit-based projects that would create jobs and economic boons for regional economies. "We have made a big deal out of this new fund and this new way of investing in our regions," she said. "This is really going to make a big difference for the local economy." The $70 million Callisto - believed to have been the largest and most expensive yacht to visit Newcastle - was spotted in the marina in 2019. lt is owned by Barbados billionaire Derrick Smith who was reportedly a co-owner of the renowned Coolmore Stud, which has operations in the Upper Hunter, Ireland and the US. The Australian superyacht sector is estimated to have a fleet value of over $7.5 billion, with annual maintenance expenditure of over $575 million. Operational expenditure in Australia, including crew wages and berthing, is worth about $400 million. A proposal document for the project, seen by the Newcastle Herald, lists more than 400 vessels over 30 metres based in the Asia Pacific. The industry is said to support about 14,500 full-time jobs, paying about $1.2 billion in wages and salaries, and with Sydney reaching capacity, overflow was being directed to Queensland and Victoria. The yacht club's pitch to secure funding amounted to positioning Newcastle to cater to provide a state's-first and one-stop shop for the super rich to dock and have their vessels serviced, estimated to represent up to 1400 jobs. According to Superyachts Australia, the number of luxury vessels in NSW has increased by 52 per cent since 2021, with 17 accounted for in 2023. The economic impact of a visiting vessel was estimated to be about $1.34 million that year. The Newcastle Cruising Yacht Club will be the beneficiary of $5 million in state funding to expand its berthing marina to accommodate up eight luxe superyachts in a move that it promises will be a boon for the regional tourism economy. Club CEO Paul O'Rourke said there were about 30 superyachts owned in Australia, but the country was a premier destination for repair and vessel maintenance in the Southern Hemisphere such that it was expected to account for some eight per cent of the global market by the end of the year, amounting to around 533 vessels. The funding is expected to be put towards building 200 metres of dedicated marina berth that is specifically designed to accommodate the larger vessels, with extra weight and power facilities. The move to expand the Newcastle marina on Hannell Street is expected to put Newcastle in a competitive stead with Queensland, long regarded as the Australian home for superyacht construction, and will represent the only such dedicated maintenance berth in NSW. Mr O'Rourke said, while Newcastle would not build the vessels, positioning the city as a maintenance hub for the yachts that are estimated to cost between $2 million and $5 million a year to run, would unlock the Pacific for European travellers and see tourism spending flow through the Hunter. "There are probably over 30 superyachts in Australia at the moment," he said. "But the key is there are 100 coming. There are a lot of superyachts in Europe that all want to come to Australia and the Pacific, and at the moment we don't have the Pacific facilities." "We regularly get phone calls from boats out in Tahiti that want to come to Australia and park up. We haven't got the facility yet." Minister for the Hunter Yasmin Catley said the NSW Government's investment of $5 million, to which the Newcastle yacht club would add 20 per cent of the overall $6 million build costs, made sense for the state's second city. "We are a maritime city," she said. "So, it makes sense for us to can have those yachts that can travel from as far far as Europe on their way up to Northern Queensland and to further places into the Pacific." "This will become their go-to stopover." The yacht club's Commodore, Barry Kelly, said the completed projected which is estimated to be about two years away, would be equipped to provide "medium-level" maintenance to the vessels, replacing parts and servicing engines and complex onboard systems, that would generate jobs in the region. "Superyachts spend about four times as much in the region as they do on the berthing," he said. "Our spend on maintaining this facility in the last financial year was about $800,000." The funding has been carved out of the NSW Regional Development Trust, which Regional NSW Minister Tara Moriarty said was to prop up merit-based projects that would create jobs and economic boons for regional economies. "We have made a big deal out of this new fund and this new way of investing in our regions," she said. "This is really going to make a big difference for the local economy." The $70 million Callisto - believed to have been the largest and most expensive yacht to visit Newcastle - was spotted in the marina in 2019. lt is owned by Barbados billionaire Derrick Smith who was reportedly a co-owner of the renowned Coolmore Stud, which has operations in the Upper Hunter, Ireland and the US. The Australian superyacht sector is estimated to have a fleet value of over $7.5 billion, with annual maintenance expenditure of over $575 million. Operational expenditure in Australia, including crew wages and berthing, is worth about $400 million. A proposal document for the project, seen by the Newcastle Herald, lists more than 400 vessels over 30 metres based in the Asia Pacific. The industry is said to support about 14,500 full-time jobs, paying about $1.2 billion in wages and salaries, and with Sydney reaching capacity, overflow was being directed to Queensland and Victoria. The yacht club's pitch to secure funding amounted to positioning Newcastle to cater to provide a state's-first and one-stop shop for the super rich to dock and have their vessels serviced, estimated to represent up to 1400 jobs. According to Superyachts Australia, the number of luxury vessels in NSW has increased by 52 per cent since 2021, with 17 accounted for in 2023. The economic impact of a visiting vessel was estimated to be about $1.34 million that year. The Newcastle Cruising Yacht Club will be the beneficiary of $5 million in state funding to expand its berthing marina to accommodate up eight luxe superyachts in a move that it promises will be a boon for the regional tourism economy. Club CEO Paul O'Rourke said there were about 30 superyachts owned in Australia, but the country was a premier destination for repair and vessel maintenance in the Southern Hemisphere such that it was expected to account for some eight per cent of the global market by the end of the year, amounting to around 533 vessels. The funding is expected to be put towards building 200 metres of dedicated marina berth that is specifically designed to accommodate the larger vessels, with extra weight and power facilities. The move to expand the Newcastle marina on Hannell Street is expected to put Newcastle in a competitive stead with Queensland, long regarded as the Australian home for superyacht construction, and will represent the only such dedicated maintenance berth in NSW. Mr O'Rourke said, while Newcastle would not build the vessels, positioning the city as a maintenance hub for the yachts that are estimated to cost between $2 million and $5 million a year to run, would unlock the Pacific for European travellers and see tourism spending flow through the Hunter. "There are probably over 30 superyachts in Australia at the moment," he said. "But the key is there are 100 coming. There are a lot of superyachts in Europe that all want to come to Australia and the Pacific, and at the moment we don't have the Pacific facilities." "We regularly get phone calls from boats out in Tahiti that want to come to Australia and park up. We haven't got the facility yet." Minister for the Hunter Yasmin Catley said the NSW Government's investment of $5 million, to which the Newcastle yacht club would add 20 per cent of the overall $6 million build costs, made sense for the state's second city. "We are a maritime city," she said. "So, it makes sense for us to can have those yachts that can travel from as far far as Europe on their way up to Northern Queensland and to further places into the Pacific." "This will become their go-to stopover." The yacht club's Commodore, Barry Kelly, said the completed projected which is estimated to be about two years away, would be equipped to provide "medium-level" maintenance to the vessels, replacing parts and servicing engines and complex onboard systems, that would generate jobs in the region. "Superyachts spend about four times as much in the region as they do on the berthing," he said. "Our spend on maintaining this facility in the last financial year was about $800,000." The funding has been carved out of the NSW Regional Development Trust, which Regional NSW Minister Tara Moriarty said was to prop up merit-based projects that would create jobs and economic boons for regional economies. "We have made a big deal out of this new fund and this new way of investing in our regions," she said. "This is really going to make a big difference for the local economy." The $70 million Callisto - believed to have been the largest and most expensive yacht to visit Newcastle - was spotted in the marina in 2019. lt is owned by Barbados billionaire Derrick Smith who was reportedly a co-owner of the renowned Coolmore Stud, which has operations in the Upper Hunter, Ireland and the US. The Australian superyacht sector is estimated to have a fleet value of over $7.5 billion, with annual maintenance expenditure of over $575 million. Operational expenditure in Australia, including crew wages and berthing, is worth about $400 million. A proposal document for the project, seen by the Newcastle Herald, lists more than 400 vessels over 30 metres based in the Asia Pacific. The industry is said to support about 14,500 full-time jobs, paying about $1.2 billion in wages and salaries, and with Sydney reaching capacity, overflow was being directed to Queensland and Victoria. The yacht club's pitch to secure funding amounted to positioning Newcastle to cater to provide a state's-first and one-stop shop for the super rich to dock and have their vessels serviced, estimated to represent up to 1400 jobs. According to Superyachts Australia, the number of luxury vessels in NSW has increased by 52 per cent since 2021, with 17 accounted for in 2023. The economic impact of a visiting vessel was estimated to be about $1.34 million that year.
Sky News AU
21 hours ago
- Sky News AU
'I know that my mother always wanted me to visit Australia': HRH Prince Leka II of Albania exclusively opens up about royal duties
My interview with His Royal Highness Crown Prince Leka II of Albania has been over a year in the works. It all began about 18 months ago, when the proclamation of Tasmanian-born Mary Donaldson as Queen of Denmark revived interest in her fairytale meet-cute with Prince Frederik in that Sydney pub all those years ago. Few journalists bothered to mention that decades earlier, another Aussie girl met a Crown Prince in Sydney. Their love story did not end in a proclamation ceremony or fireworks, but decades of exile and upheaval that saw them perpetually moving around the world. The couple had one son, who today serves as the head of the House of Zogu after finally being allowed to return to Albania. On the evening of our Zoom call, I half expect to hear word from the royal household that the call is off and the Crown Prince would need to reschedule or cancel altogether. But five minutes before the scheduled start of our interview, I receive a notification confirming the Crown Prince has already logged on and is in the virtual waiting room. 'I hope that the hour is not inconvenient for you,' he said. The sandy-haired Crown Prince, 43, is speaking from his bright and well-appointed home office inside the royal residence in Tirana. Our interview coincides with high season for tourism in Albania, which is currently one of the fastest-growing tourist destinations in Europe. This year alone, thousands of Aussies will visit Albania as part of their European getaways for the first time, most likely unaware of the Crown Prince's family link to Australia. 'Five years ago before the pandemic, we had three million tourists and I think the Ministry of Culture foresees 11 million tourists this year,' Leka II said. 'Albania is a country which is in a transition. 'We're a country which has beautiful beaches - we share the Ionian sea with Greece - and we have the ancient history of all the empires, from the Romans, the Persians, and the Ottomans, to our own dynasties in history.' The history of the monarchy in Albania is a relatively short but tragic tale of a country caught in the crossroads of ideology - first fascism, then communism. Albania was officially proclaimed a monarchy in 1928, at which time Leka II's grandfather acceded to the throne as Zog I, King of the Albanians. In 1939, Zog I and his wife Queen Geraldine were forced into exile with their newborn son Leka I (Leka II's father) after Italy invaded the country and Benito Mussolini barred the King from returning to Albania. After the war, a communist regime was installed and Albania was largely sealed off to the outside world, leaving the royal family effectively stateless. Decades of harsh communist rule under dictator Enver Hoxha followed before the country transitioned to a democracy in 1991. In 2003, the Albanian Parliament passed a law recognising the royal family and granting them a special status, which enabled the family to come home without restoring them in an official capacity. 'It's the first step in giving certain amounts of recognition and allowing us to play a role within a society while being part of the diplomatic life of the society as well,' Leka II said. Today, the southern European country of about 2.7 million people is enjoying a major economic upswing and is eyeing accession into the EU in the coming years. The country now enjoys relative political stability and a building boom is currently transforming the face of Tirana. Of all the non-reigning monarchies in Europe, the Crown Prince has arguably carved out the most compelling role for a hereditary royal living in a modern republic. He enjoys limited recognition within Albania's present political structure and works as an informal roving ambassador for the country abroad. Just weeks ago, Leka II was made an honorary ambassador to the State of Louisiana by Republican Governor Jeff Landry. In 2016, the Albanian government even gave permission for the royal family to use the former Royal Palace – now the president's official residence - for Leka II's wedding to actress Elia Zaharia. The guest list featured a Madame Tussaud's-worthy selection of reigning and non-reigning royals from across Europe, including Queen Sofia of Spain and Prince and Princess Michael of Kent. The royal couple divorced last year but continue to co-parent their daughter Princess Geraldine – the presumed heir to the Albanian throne. In recent years, some of the other royal properties have been returned to the family, including the impressive Royal Villa of Durrës in Albania's second largest city. The former summer residence sits atop a hill overlooking the Adriatic Sea but has fallen into ruin after decades of neglect and earthquakes in the area. Restoring the crumbling residences is an 'incredible challenge' for Leka II. So much so that he recently opted to sell the Royal Villa to a businessman who can properly fund the restoration. 'The new owner is a very, very successful businessman, and he's taking up the incredible challenge to rehabilitate, to rebuild the villa, which unfortunately due to the earthquakes and due to mismanagement and being destroyed, really needs that TLC,' he said. While Leka II credits his father Leka I for instilling in him a drive to serve the country, he was equally influenced by his 'very loving' mother Princess Susan. Leka II says he is 'very proud' of his Australian heritage and credits his late mother's Aussie roots for instilling in him both 'openness' and an uncanny ability to 'read the room'. Born Susan Barbara Cullen-Ward in Sydney, Leka II's mother came from a good eastern suburbs family before meeting the exiled Crown Prince of Albania at a dinner party in the mid-1970s. The couple wed in a small civil ceremony in Biarritz in 1975 and lived in exile in Spain, Zimbabwe and finally South Africa, where they welcomed Leka II in 1982. 'My mother was a fourth-generation Australian,' he said. 'I believe - and I'm not certain about this so maybe some verification could be made - that she was a descendent of Banjo Paterson.' Leka II says he hopes to visit Australia soon and reconnect with cousins and relatives from the Cullen and Ward families. 'My cousins are all pushing for me to come and visit hopefully next year,' he said. 'I know that my mother always wanted me to visit Australia.' Leka II was largely raised in exile in South Africa with his parents in what one 1980s feature by The Australian Women's Weekly gently described as 'reduced circumstances'. Growing up, nobody at school knew Leka II's true identity and he only got a sense of his royal lineage when interacting with the Albanian diaspora on holidays to Europe. I ask the Crown Prince whether his relatively normal upbringing was a blessing in some ways. After all, Prince Harry's memoir Spare was a pretty damning account about the pitfalls of growing up as a royal Prince in the media's glare. 'I had a very normal youth as a child, but at the same time, meeting the diaspora I felt the pressures of position,' he said. 'When we finally came back to Albania in 2002, I was really pushed into the deep end.' Sadly, Susan died in 2004 at age 63 from cancer, just two years after the royal family finally returned to Albania. His father Leka I died in 2012 and both are buried in the Mausoleum of the Albanian Royal Family. As Crown Prince, Leka II can be commended for restoring the royal family to prominence in the country through tireless work promoting Albania abroad. It is plausible that this goodwill could lead to a more official role for the family in the future. But Leka II says he is making great effort to ensure his daughter Geraldine, 4, does not grow up fretting over the future of the House of Zogu. 'She's fluent both in English and Albanian and she's a chatterbox in all senses,' he said. 'But it's important that she is given the best education and time will define her role, you can't force someone to become a monarch.'
AU Financial Review
a day ago
- AU Financial Review
Cathay Pacific's Aria Suites touch down in Melbourne
Cathay Pacific's newly retrofitted planes will soon start flying out of Melbourne, extending its Australian service after the Hong Kong-based airline chose Sydney as the first non-European destination to fly its Aria Suites earlier this year. From Sunday, Cathay Pacific's flight CX 104 from Melbourne to Hong Kong and flight CX 105 from Hong Kong to Melbourne will feature the new business class product.
