My mum had always wanted to go to Venice in Italy. Located in the lagoon at the top of the Adriatic Sea with its unique canals, buildings, and gondolas, it has always been a desired destination for many. We had heard that the place struggles with overcrowding, but what we saw there was far beyond our expectations. Venice is a tiny 5‑square‑kilometre area with over 26 million people visiting each single year. 2019 was its peak year for tourism at the time we got there. Although we were well informed and prepared for this journey, we were taken aback. There were so many souvenir stands and street sellers that they were sometimes almost impossible to pass through. Walking along very narrow alleys with hundreds of other pedestrians was a great challenge. Reaching your spot took much longer than planned. Venice copes with two massive problems: the first one is too many visitors coming to the city and the other one is the fact that it is drowning. It has been getting flooded over 60 times a year, while way back in 1900 it was only 4 times a year!
The Italian government banned the passage of cruise ships entering through the city to avoid even bigger congestion and in order to protect the ecosystem of the lagoon and local people’s properties from being damaged. They also consider introducing limits on tourists entering the city, which I find to be a good solution after what I saw there!

When I was 13, my parents organised a trip to Peru to visit the City in the Clouds, as the locals name Machu Picchu, the Inca city located on the mountain top, over 2,400 metres above sea level. It doesn’t stop people from getting there, as over 2 million tourists pay a visit yearly. I admit that it is the most astonishing sight I have ever seen. The city, which is one of the Seven Wonders of the World, is indeed hidden in the clouds. Most archaeologists believe the city was built in the 15th century as an estate for the Inca emperor, in the classical Inca style, with polished dry‑stone walls, which everybody associates it with. When I was on the trail, it was boiling hot and I found it hard to enjoy the place while sweating all the time and struggling to step forward. But when we finally got there, I was speechless. I had the feeling as if I had been floating among the clouds although there were only a few that day. With its glorious past and fragile environment, it is a sacred place for the locals. That is why I was shocked to witness a tourist dropping an empty plastic bottle after having drunk the water. I couldn't believe my eyes! How can this be that we do not respect the places we visit? I picked up the rubbish and threw it away into the bin. Later I found out that waste is thrown into the river regularly by tourists, endangering its flora and fauna. Luckily, it is vital for the locals to preserve the place in its best possible condition. That is why local authorities banned plastic in hotels and restaurants. The Peruvian government has taken measures to protect Machu Picchu by placing strict limitations on the number of visitors. I wish more governments in the world would introduce similar solutions to preserve their marvels.

As a professional mountain climber, I am aware of the risks that each expedition may bring. Even a small mistake can lead to tragedy. When I heard that 2019 was one of the most deadly climbing seasons in the history of Mount Everest, I simply knew the reasons. I witnessed so many careless acts of people’s behaviour on the trail that I could write a “WHAT NOT TO DO in the mountains” book. First of all, amateurs should not be allowed to climb high mountains. Some people think that if they practise for a couple of months and build their muscles, they will reach the top, which is insane. In the past, only professionals could go. The commercialisation of Everest began in the 1990s. Nowadays, there are thousands of companies offering a climb to the summit, which attracts inexperienced climbers. They are not properly dressed or equipped, and they don’t have the knowledge of how to react in case of danger. But there is one thing they will never forget to take: a mobile phone. Nothing seems to be more important than a selfie at the summit. It is hard to believe it, but there are queues of people waiting to get to the top. Sadly, deaths are not caused by avalanches or extreme weather, but by the number of inexperienced climbers who die in a line due to altitude sickness or lack of oxygen. It seems unbelievable that overtourism has reached the highest mountain on the Earth.

I had to wait three long years to go to my dream destination. Maya Bay, the idyllic cove made famous by the film in 2000 with Leonardo DiCaprio. After the movie, it got onto the list of the most frequently visited places. When I saw it, I fell in love with its white sand and clear blue water and promised myself to go there one day. I started to collect money, and plan my trip by searching for flights and accommodation. I was so excited about it. It was in 2018 when I was to fly there, but there was one thing I hadn’t predicted. Three months before my trip, the local government shut the place down. After the film, Maya Bay was number 1 on the Top 10 Destinations Fighting Overtourism. The local authorities decided to prioritise the environmental recovery of the area. Too many people had impacted the local ecosystem negatively. Corals and sea life suffered from sun cream and oils, which polluted the water and made animals leave. The place remained closed for more than three years and was finally reopened in January 2022. I am thinking about going there, but I need to start from the very beginning. The local government introduced very strict rules that must be obeyed. There are no boats allowed, no swimming, and there can only be 300 visitors per round. The place is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily. I hope that more and more governments will introduce similar restrictions. If we want to preserve those places, people will have to get used to it.