From Awe to Overload: How Asia’s Popular Destinations Are Handling Overtourism

Asian countries, reopening for tourism later than Europe post-COVID-19, have seen overtourism in popular destinations like Bali, Phuket, and key tourist hotspots in Japan.

However, experts advise defining overtourism beyond physical carrying capacity, which means a maximum number of visitors a site can accommodate without significant deterioration, to include environmental and social carrying capacities, considering the long-term ecological damage and community tolerance levels.