In the modern world of 2025, people's perspective of vacation time has changed drastically. Instead of seeking giant tourist destinations with popular monuments, people tend to discover unpopular, peaceful cities, and beaches. This desire is a growing change for most people's travel choices, outlining the needs of tranquillity, avoidance of hustle and overcrowded places which is normally what they experience on a everyday basis. With the popularity of social media, many hidden gems around the world have been uncovered and are now becoming more frequently discovered by people searching for personalized and unique travel experiences. These places often reflect a balance between peace, relaxation, and new cultural experiences, showing that every corner of the world hides amazing gems worth exploring to create memorable journeys, instead of ticking off famous landmarks.
Why are hidden gems gaining popularity?
Overtourism is a hard reality that many destinations face, especially the highly popular and “indispensable ones”. Many places like Paris, Bali, Rome, Venice or Amsterdam have gained such a strong popularity that they are now extremely overcrowded and an extremely stressful touristic destination. With the majority of people realizing that they will not be able to visit these places without being squished by a crowd or having to wait in line for hours, less popular and crowded places have been raised to the eyes of the public through social media indications. Many “travel influencers” have opened the eyes of the people to the problems of popular places, and that there are many factors that will make your vacation experience better if visiting less popular places.
Affordability and authenticity are two of the strongest reasons why such incredible places are being highlighted. In most cases, many hidden gems are located in countries or cities that don't pay so much attention to them, or that are naturally less touristy, consequently having much lower prices, that are more than worth it to what the location has to offer. Travelling to extremely touristic locations can be very expensive, and hidden gems have more affordable prices that attract an incredible majority of people. Because many of these locations are less touched by tourists, their cultural and natural characteristics tend to be more vibrant and authentic, attracting the people's eyes, and enriching their travel experiences.
Many popular places have been so deeply touched by the public that authorities have to go extreme, and not allow people to go to there, for example, what happened to May Bay beach in Thailand, which became extremely popular due to the film “The Beach” starring Leonardo di Caprio. In consequence of the extreme tourism and demand, many of the beach's coral and marine life was severely damaged, forcing local authorities to close down the beach in 2018, only being reopened in 2022. This shows that many of the time, less popular places have a beauty that most of us can't imagine!
5 of the best hidden gems to visit!
Hydra, Greece: This is a beautiful paradise island only 2 hours away from Athens by ferry. This place offers a great relaxation time from the most popular Greek islands, being very small, and walkable. This place highlights characteristic blue water beaches, but without the crowds of Santorini or Mykonos along with delicious small traditional greek restaurants.
Laos: A surrounded by land country in southeast asia is a very underrated destination, with amazing people, incredible food and the most amazing landscapes, including historic locations. Places like the waterfall of Tad Lo, the temple of Champasak and the MandaLao elephant conservation center are an incredible mix of activities to visit and discover a new culture.
Tunis, Tunisia: This is one of these cheap destinations which are totally worth the visit. The people are extremely friendly and welcoming, and the historical sights are incredible. Along with that, this city in Tunisia includes many spectacular beaches and wind life explorations.
Oman: This country is hidden in the middle east by the mountains, but inside, there are incredible natural views. The country has incredible middle eastern architecture, combined with incredible beaches, lakes, mountains and historic sights.
Sapporo, Japan: When going to Japan, most people instantly think of going to Tokyo. But, Sapporo, located in the northern island of Hokkaido is a city surrounded by the Japanese mountains and provides incredible views that blend with the city. The city has beautiful canals and lakes, also having incredible people and amazing traditional Japanese food. This is a great alternative to get to know the Japanese Culture from a more traditional and beautiful side.
How does the increasing popularity of these places affect them?
The increasing popularity of these hidden gems can seem amazing and most people think that there are no bad sides to it. But, the places receiving the increasing amount of tourists really can rapidly face problems with infrastructure to accommodate many people at the same time, which makes the city overwhelmed, and sometimes not able to handle it. Also, these locations can suffer cultural shocks, not being used to receiving so many people from the outside. Environmental problems are also common, with often people not taking care of the location properly.
How can us tourists help to decrease the negative impact?
When visiting less popular places, a special care is necessary to avoid the consequences previously cited. Tourists should prioritize visiting in off peak seasons to avoid pressuring the location too much, and as much as possible, consume from local businesses, so that the economy is able to grow around tourism. Lastly, local customs should be respected to minimize cultural shocks, environmental impacts, and the harming of any historical property.
Hidden gems are often the ideal place to offer travelers the opportunity to escape the everyday life stress, and get to know incredible destinations without the obstacles of overcrowded places and affordability. These locations are full of natural beauties and rich culture, reminding us that the world is full of hidden treasures waiting to be explored. Even though it is amazing that these places gain popularity, there are negative effects that can be discovered, like cultural and environmental impact if tourists don't approach these places with responsibility and respect. If we are able to have a balanced approach to touristing, we can carry on to explore these fascinating corners of the world!
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