(Lebanon, N.H. – February 3, 2025) – Travelers in 2025 are redefining their priorities based on conditions at specific destinations. Some countries struggle with overtourism. Other countries are actively trying to attract more tourists by promoting easier entry processes.

According to the Global Rescue Winter 2025 Traveler Sentiment and Safety Survey, three out of four travelers (73%) expressed concerns about overtourism, and a third (33%) reported encountering it firsthand in 2024. In response, more than half of travelers (53%) are intentionally avoiding overcrowded destinations such as France, Spain, Italy, Greece, Thailand, the Netherlands, and Peru. Yet, these countries still draw some traveler interest with 16% of travelers planning trips to Italy, 15% to Spain, and 14% to France.

Meanwhile, destinations like Morocco, Kenya, Wales, Egypt, Cambodia, India and Taiwan are actively trying to attract more tourists by promoting easier entry processes, and travelers are responding. Nearly 10% of travelers are planning to visit Morocco, followed by Kenya (8%) and Wales (7%). Of the other countries easing international traveler entry policies, respondents are planning trips to Egypt (7%), Cambodia and India (6% each), and Taiwan (5%).

“The tourism industry is at a pivotal moment,” said Dan Richards, CEO of The Global Rescue Companies and member of the U.S. Travel and Tourism Advisory Board at the U.S. Department of Commerce. “Overtourism weakens destinations by straining infrastructure and depleting resources, leaving them ill-equipped to handle traveler and resident crises.”

Government leaders have the power to mitigate these dangers. “Implementing visitor caps, promotion of off-peak travel, and targeted investments in tourism infrastructure are critical to easing the burden on high-traffic destinations,” Richards said.

As global tourism continues to expand, the urgency for proactive destination management has never been greater. “Travelers and policymakers share a responsibility to ensure that tourism remains a force for good—driving economic growth, preserving cultural heritage, and safeguarding the environment,” he added.

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For more information contact Bill McIntyre at bmcintyre@globalrescue.com or +1 202.560.1195.   

About the Global Rescue Traveler Sentiment and Safety Survey    

Global Rescue, the leading travel risk and crisis response provider, surveyed more than 1,300 current and former members between January 21-27, 2025. The respondents revealed a variety of behaviors, attitudes and preferences regarding current and future travel.    

About Global Rescue    

Global Rescue is the world’s leading provider of medical, security, evacuation and travel risk management services to enterprises, governments and individuals. Founded in 2004, Global Rescue has exclusive relationships with the Johns Hopkins Emergency Medicine Division of Special Operations and Elite Medical Group. Global Rescue provides best-in-class services that identify, monitor and respond to client medical and security crises. Global Rescue has provided medical and security support to its clients, including Fortune 500 companies, governments and academic institutions, during every globally significant crisis of the last two decades. For more information, visit www.globalrescue.com.