More people are traveling than ever before, which is a good thing, but they are often going to all the same places, which makes for a less-than-inspiring experience. Airfare deals, bucket lists, and Instagram goals are leading people to go somewhere just top say they have gone somewhere. The world is full of less-crowded getaway spots that could use your money. Journalist Elizabeth Becker wrote the book Overbooked: The Exploding Business of Travel and Tourism, and says you can still see and enjoy many places in the world without adding to the crowds, if you do some research. It's crucial that you first explore why you want to go to a certain place, and what might be waiting for you there.
Another strategy is to ask yourself what you really want to do and see, rather than seeing something for the sake of seeing it. Becker recommends not doing things you wouldn’t do back home. If you don’t like museums, for example, don’t clog up the Louvre and whiz through without a clue what you’re seeing, she says.
Santander at the European Travel Commission agrees that blindly going through the motions without any research leads to a predictable trip: “You go to different places, but the experience is always the same: it’s an airport, which has the same shops, some trains, some of the monuments are different.” Plus, it makes the most famous sites more congested.
“If you’re going to Prague, instead of spending two days, spend a week – and don’t go to the tourist places. Go all around it,” Becker says. “Maybe you’ve actually read a novel – even a Czech author. Maybe a history book, modern politics – so you know [more about] where you’re going. Soak up that one place, and I promise you can avoid the crowds.”
There are more tips for traveling without adding to the problems of overburdened tourist destinations at BBC. -via Digg