TikTok Tourism Expectation vs Reality: The Holiday Hotspots slowly turning to ruins
After facing years of heavy footfall find out which popular tourist spots are crumbling under the weight of TikTok marketing
Tiktok failed to load.Enable 3rd party cookies or use another browser
(original video above)
Like the doom scrolling slaves we are, today, the FYP and its short vibrant videos depicting far flung destinations have us in a chokehold. We no longer chose where we want to go on holiday instead handing that decision over to the algorithm. The influence of TikTok in choosing where we go on holiday is undeniable, but just how bad are its favourite destinations coping with the influx of so called “TikTok tourists”.
Santorini, Greece 🇬🇷
Spoiler alert: They’re not coping well.
This idillic paradise is the crowing jewel of Greece. With it’s iconic white and blue buildings huddled together on the side of an active volcano it is a private town boasting incredible culture, unique Airbnbs and five star hotels and restaurants.
Unfortunately, the amount of people appreciating Santorini for these things has significantly increased, making the once private town a hubbub of TikTok activity. The island’s 15,000 residents see around 2 million selfie stick wielding visitors yearly.
Tiktok failed to load.Enable 3rd party cookies or use another browser
Overcrowding on the island has produced another problem as many vloggers are beginning to advertise the surrounding smaller islands like Paros and Milos as a private alternative escape to the hustle and bustle of Santorini.
Olden, Norway 🇳🇴
Yeah we’d never heard of it either, but this picturesque snow covered town nestled deep into the Norwegian fjords lets in over 100 cruise ships every year.
Andrew Wolverson, Captain of Iona, has mixed feelings about TikTok tourism in Olden.
“I think we’re really pushing (Olden) to its capacity really because this is the largest register British vessel. The ships are getting very big and ports aren’t moving at the same rate in terms of expansion”
However, despite his concerns Andrew was quite to correct his statement, “Ships like this carry about 7000 people, they’re big but they’re running at about 95% capacity. It’s very different to say, one driver in a car, it’s far more efficient. You’ve also got to remember without cruise ships Olden would collapse. It’s their only industry here”.
This fact certainly becomes evident when you arrive in Olden and see its so called city centre which was built 2 years ago.
It features a small grocery store and the obligatory key ring and Norway hoodie shop. Locals told me both stores are owned by the same Slovakian businessman. And that’s it. Not a lot to entertain 7000 mostly British tourists who I thought would be taking pictures in peoples’ backyards and harassing locals for entertainment.
Though as it happened I was the only one harassing the locals when I spotted a local woman clearing leaves in her garden and asked her for an interview. Would you like to stop tourism here? “No it’s ok” the woman replied Norweiganly “I have lived her 38 years. Last year many many people came in ships but they are friendly. I like that people come here, it means where I live is beautiful so many people come to see it.”
Machu Pichu, Peru 🇵🇪
This TikTok Tourism hotspot has already been reduced to ruins but a new problem is emerging.
Picture the scene. You’re hiking in the Peruvian mountains, anticipating the moment you’ll first lay eyes on the famous Incan ruins. It’s been 4 days and the bugs have stopped biting you out of pity, your legs are swollen and the air is thin when suddenly you see it.
3 brightly coloured rain coats lying on grass and 50 other tourists all looking out at the foggiest wonder of the world.
Tiktok failed to load.Enable 3rd party cookies or use another browser
Although the main problem here is the Peruvian climate obscuring the view, I imagine there’s nothing more frustrating than knowing even if the weather was perfectly clear there’d still be 200 tourists getting in the way of you and your spiritual journey to the Andes.
El Nido, Phillipines 🇵🇭
The power of TikTok tourism is no more evident than in El Nido where a record breaking 500,000 visitors flocked to the pristine island in 2023, a 90% increase from the previous year. Attractions like the so called ‘Secret Lagoon’ have been exposed forever.
Tiktok failed to load.Enable 3rd party cookies or use another browser
With boats and tourists polluting the natural beaches in El Nido demand is high. The problem for tourism here, like many places in south east asia is the lack of water, electricity and infrastructure required to deal with so many tourists. Whilst the island continues to lean on tourism the 50,000 people living there permiently will continue to be exposed to arrogant and intrepid backpackers looking for the newest ‘gap yar’ experience.
Venice, Italy 🇮🇹
Having banned large cruise ships in 2021, Venetians have fallen out of love with tourism with some locals describing politicians’ view of the town as an ‘industria estrattiva’, a mine from which to extract money.
The cost of living and renting in Venice has skyrocketed as the local economy booms from tourism. The recent TikTok trend is visiting the canal town in its off season in October as well in an effect to beat the crowds.
Elsewhere online however the sentiment is different with holidayers being encouraged to visit other similar towns such as Trieste, in an effort to take Venice out of the spotlight.