When it’s time to book a vacation, tourists have plenty of options they can decide on and for some places in the world, they see a lot of tourists in a year. In fact, for many of these locations, they see more tourists in a year than they have citizens of their country. So move over locals, the tourists are coming in! Which sometimes isn’t a bad thing because many of these countries rely on tourists for the national income and it is a huge boost to their economy to be the go-to place for those looking for a vacation.
But then there are those hidden gems that the locals would be more than happy if tourists didn’t find out about because they are such unique places and attractions that if tourists knew about them, they would for sure be booking a trip to them in no time. So here are 15 places that have plenty of tourists to rub shoulders with on the beaches and slopes of the world, while also 10 other places that are special attractions that the locals only know about. No matter what a tourist selects, they are bound to have a great vacation either way!
25 More Tourists: Saint Maarten
Saint Maarten is another Caribbean island, only this one is actually controlled by The Netherlands. With a population of 40,000 people, the small island is divided, with Saint Maarten located on the south side. But according to the Telegraph, the little island gets a lot of tourists, so much so that for everyone citizen of Saint Maarten, seven tourists show up. That makes for some crowded beaches.
Despite its size, Saint Maarten has the 15th largest GDP per capita, and most of their economy is based off their massive tourism industry, as it’s a main stop for cruise ships heading into the Caribbean.
24 Only Locals: Gas Field in Derweze, Turkmenistan
The gas field in Derweze, Turkmenistan is a good lesson of why playing with fire can be dangerous, or in this case, beautiful. In 1971, a cavern collapsed, and to stop the spread of methane gas, geologists set it on fire. To many people’s wonder, it hasn’t stopped burning since and has grown into a very popular tourist destination for people wanting to take a picture against what can be called a natural fire.
For those looking to find Turkmenistan, look to central Asia, as the country boarders the Caspian Sea to the west and has a population of 5.6 million people.
23 More Tourists: Bermuda
Tourist aren’t scared off by the Bermuda triangle and all the interesting things that are reported to happen there. Instead, they flock to the Caribbean country for it’s amazing beaches on one of its 138 islands. The small island country has a population around 63,000, but it gets so many tourists, according to The Telegraph, that for every person living there, there are 3.4 tourists.
That’s a lot of beach to share!
At least Bermuda has plenty of fine sand and crystal blue beach to share. But that’s also a lot of revenue for the tiny country.
22 Only Locals: Salar de Uyuni in Bolivia
When visiting the Salar de Uyuni salt flats, most tourist have to take the cliché photo across the flats where it looks like a shoe is coming down on a friend, or a tourist is in the palm of someone’s hand. It’s a classic photo in the world’s largest salt flats, which according to National geographic is 4,050 square miles, making it by far the world’s largest.
We have all seen the photos, but not many people actually get to claim to have been there.
It’s not a highly visited spot unless a tourist wants to make a trip to Bolivia to see the flats. Overnight tours according to National Geographic can be around $130 round trip.
21 More Tourists: Hong Kong
Hong Kong is another small city-nation located on eastern side of China that has a population of over 7.2 million people. So think about how many tourists are there to see the amazing city skyline, with all their skyscrapers, when you hear that there is 3.8 tourists per citizen, according to the Telegraph.
That’s over 22 million people a year who visit the financial and trading mega center.
With plenty of different food to eat, it’s also one a great city for a traveler who wants to try something different every night, while also taking in some of Hong Kong’s history.
20 Only Locals: Huacachina, Peru
Imagine being in the desert and being so hot and needing water that you start to imagine a city in the distance with a great lake to jump into. Well, that is exactly what Huacachina, Peru looks like, as the small city is located in what is the middle of the sand dunes and even includes its own lake. It’s hard to find and that is probably how the near 100 locals probably like it, as it’s their little private home. But they do have shops for tourists who do find their way to their little village, either by mistake or by choice. And with plenty of sand, take a chance sand boarding at this little oasis in the sands.
19 More Tourists: Iceland
It may come as a surprise, but Iceland is actually turning itself into a tourist trap, which is crazy to think for a place that has the word ‘ice’ in its name. But Iceland has really started to bring the tourists in at an alarming rate of 3.01 tourist per citizen of the country according to the Telegraph.
With the tourist increase, the country has had to build up more places for them to stay while visiting.
It hasn’t made the residents that happy, as hotels have had to pop up to keep up with the demand, prices are increasing and many thought the capital, Reykjavik, would become the new Disneyland for people looking to take in a different adventure.
18 Only Locals: Lake at Jiuzhaigou National Park
Locals probably don’t want tourists to know about the lake at Jiuzhaigou National Park, as it’s one of the most beautiful destinations in the world, with amazing waterfalls and mirror lakes. According to the Travel China Guide, the natural forest covers nearly 30,000 hectares and includes over 2,500 planet species, 141 different birds and 17 species of rare animals. It was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site back in 1992 and a World Biosphere Reserve in 1997, making it one of the most protected places in the world.
So the locals would be happy if the tourism was kept down to preserve the beauty of the park.
17 More Tourists: The Bahamas
When tourists want a sand beach getaway, many are taking to the Bahamas for that kind of vacation. The Bahamas are an incredibly popular destination for tourists, as for every citizen, there are 3.7 tourists that come to the Island in the Caribbean every year according to the Telegraph.
The small island is just off the coast of Florida, making it an easy destination to get to with plenty of beach space.
With plenty of resorts and hotels, the beaches are packed, especially during the winter months, as people flock to the sand and waves for a break from the snow.
16 Only Locals: Apostle Islands in Wisconsin, USA
Apostle Islanders are a group of 22 islanders in Lake Superior. When people think of tourist spots in the United States, they probably aren’t thinking of going to Wisconsin for a holiday. But locals will tell you that the Apostle Islands are some of the most beautiful in the world. During some winters, the lake freezes solid, creating some unique cave experiences with massive icicles hanging from the walls.
It’s a perfect destination for a tourist looking for plenty of nature a little closer to home.
There are sightseeing cruises, kayaking opportunities that bring you into underwater caves, and plenty of nature trails that will give you a glimpse of some breathtaking waterfalls.
15 More Tourists: Vatican City
Vatican City is actually a small country in the middle of Rome. It’s where the Pope lives and where St. Peter’s Basilica and Square are located, and of course the Sistine Chapel. Considering the size of the small country, it attracts millions of tourists a year who come to see the religious landmarks and see plenty of amazing art work.
Every tourist tries to come and catch a glimpse of the Pope.
According to The Telegraph, the Vatican had over five million tourists in 2014. That’s nearly 6,000 tourists for each citizen who lives in the country. That’s a lot of tourists, which is one of the Vatican’s main sources of income.
14 Only Locals: Rotorua Hot springs in Rotura, New Zealand
Locals really don’t want tourists to know about the Rotorua Hot Springs in New Zealand, as they are the most remarkable geothermal places in the world. There are shooting geysers, bubbling mud pools, and of course, the hot springs that offer a great relaxing place to take a vacation, as the natural minerals in the hot springs do wonders for the body.
Locals know just how to relax, and how to take full advantage of the beauties that Nature have provided them.
In fact, they are hailed for their healing properties and ability to cure things like arthritis. There are plenty of options available for private spas and warm underground springs, making it an intimate vacation spot for a loving couple.
13 More Tourists: Cayman Islands
The Cayman Islands get a lot of attention for two things. Most know it as the island where people go to stash money, but it’s also a very hot tourist nation that, according to the Telegraph, has an average of 6.4 tourist per citizen showing up for their beaches and nice weather every single year. The islands are located just south of Cuba in the Caribbean and have a total population of just over 60,000 people. So when you consider that for every one of them they are getting another six tourists, that’s a lot of people sharing space on the tiny islands that are only 264 square-kilometers.
12 Only Locals: Jasper National Park – Canada
When most think of the Canadian Rocky Mountains, they are thinking of Banff National Park. It’s the one place on everyone’s bucket list when they come to Canada, but they are not the only national park in that mountain range, as Jasper offers amazing views of mountains, gondola rides, and trails by foot or horseback with the beautiful mountains in the background.
According to Travel Alberta, Jasper is the largest of all the Canadian Rockies national parks, but it seems to always play second string to Banff, despite it also being a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site and offers some amazing views, especially from the glacier skywalk that lets a tourist walk over glass floor, 918 feet in the air.
11 More Tourists: Bahrain
Bahrain probably isn’t the first tourist destination many think of, but in fact, this tiny Arabian Gulf nation has one of the highest tourist counts. Over 1.6 million people call Bahrain home, and they are joined by millions more, as for everyone citizen, the Telegraph reports that 7.6 are coming for a vacation.
In 2008 alone, they had over eight million visitors, as many are coming to Bahrain for the kingdom’s modern culture.
The island is home to the Bahrain F1 International Circuit and is also the home to a few forts, including Qalat Al Bahrain, which is listed on the UNESCO World Heritage Site list.
10 More Tourists: Northern Mariana Islands
Finding the Northern Mariana Islands on a map could be very difficult, as there are about 15 of them all packed together in the Pacific Ocean. But tourists certainly don’t have a problem finding them, as they are flocking to the islands for vacations. The islands are a commonwealth to the United States, which is a good reason why they are popular.
According to the Telegraph, the tourists over match the citizens of the island 8.7 to 1.
With a population of just over 52,000, that’s a lot of people to handle. The tropical rainforest climate, however, brings people who want something a little different than Hawaii.
9 More Tourists: Monaco
Monaco rests on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea, which makes it an obvious getaway spot for tourists. Its small population, however, of just under 40,000 people, allows the tourist to outnumber the locals 8.7 to 1 according to the Telegraph. When your economy is built on tourism, gambling especially, tourists are bound to come in at high numbers and they definitely do.
Considering other very popular Mediterranean countries like Italy get all the attention, it is not surprising that Monaco is getting just as much, as tourists get the same beautiful seaside nation without the heavy influx of locals.
8 More Tourists: Aruba
Aruba is a small Caribbean island of the north coast of South America and it’s one of the most beautiful islands in the Caribbean, so much so, tourists make it a must-go destination every year. Aruba is another nation that falls under The Netherlands and has a population of 104,000 people.
Yet their tourist industry thrives on the millions they serve each year.
The Telegraph reports that for every citizen, 10.3 are coming to visit. That’s not a lot of room on an island that is just 32 kilometers across, and not a lot of beach front property to share with the locals.
7 Only Locals: Monastery of Santa Maria dell’Isola in Tropea, Italy
When tourists think of Italy they think of the classic stops like Rome, the Leaning Tower of Pisa and Vienna. But perhaps it’s time to take a trip to Tropea and see a secret that the locals definitely don’t want outsiders to know about, and that is the Monastery of Santa Maria.
The Monastery is built on a cliff overlooking the sea and gives an absolutely amazing view.
And once a tourist is finished with the Monastery, they can head down to the warm beach below and watch the sun set over the horizon. Talk about one of Italy’s best kept secrets.
6 More Tourists: British Virgin Islands
Many might know these British Islands from their place in the Pirates of the Caribbean movies, but others know it as an amazing destination for a vacation. Just like the rest of the Caribbean, it’s simply paradise to be in, especially during long winter months. The 31,000 locals may not like it so much, as tourism is such a popular thing that according to the Telegraph, for every citizen there are 12 tourists on the island. That’s a lot of people, but when tourism makes up 45% of your countries income, the more the better for these tiny groupings of islands.