As Californians begin planning their holiday vacations, one travel site has suggested that travelers stay away from certain tourist hotspots, including two in the Golden State.
“Fodor’s No List 2023,” an annual report from Fodor’s Travel Guide website, asks travelers to reconsider visiting specific locations suffering from over-tourism, limited natural resources and overcrowding.
Lake Tahoe and Mendocino, a coastal town in the Golden State, earned spots on the list.
The website stated that Lake Tahoe’s heavy traffic congestion, a result of more people living near or visiting the area, is threatening the lake’s clear waters,
“Heavy traffic crushes Tahoe’s roads into fine dust and debris and pumps tailpipe emissions into the air. When it rains or snow melts, stormwater transports these fine pollution particles into the Lake, clouding its cobalt blue waters,” the League to Save Lake Tahoe website said.
For Mendocino, which accommodates about 2 million visitors yearly, an influx of visitors can increase the already high cost of running water in the area, the travel website said.
Aquifers beneath the city have rapidly declined thanks to the drought in California. Instead of relying on the city’s water supply, businesses in the area now have to pay thousands of dollars to get water from neighboring cities, The Guardian reported.
Other places on the list that travelers should reconsider visiting include:
- Marseille’s Calanques National Park in France
- Certain locations in Europe, such as Barcelona, Paris and Dubrovnik
While the goal of the list is to highlight areas that may be overwhelmed by tourism demand on top of environmental or financial needs, the travel website doesn’t want people to boycott any of these places but reconsider their decision if they decide to visit.
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