### Overtourism in Wales: Local Paradise Struggles as Crowds Descend
Wales’ picturesque landscapes have long drawn visitors seeking respite from urban hustle, but growing numbers of tourists are now turning some of its most celebrated corners into overcrowded hotspots, leaving both residents and visitors contending with unexpected challenges. Bala, nestled at the entrance of Eryri (Snowdonia) National Park and famed for its dramatic scenery and Llyn Tegid – Wales’ largest natural lake – has become a prime example of the crunch overtourism is creating across north-west Wales.
For people like Andy McTaggart, a resident in Bala and senior partner at a relocation firm, the boom in visitor numbers has fundamentally changed daily life. “We have to plan our outings around the visitor influx, avoiding weekends and only heading out after peak hours,” he said. McTaggart highlights the impact of social media, which has rapidly transformed tranquil areas into what he describes as “densely crowded theme parks.” This sentiment resonates deeply across several Welsh villages, where roads frequently grind to a halt with bumper-to-bumper queues, limiting access for locals and turning scenic gems into logistical headaches.
Other areas such as Newborough in Anglesey and communities around Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon) have also witnessed their fair share of difficulties. Price hikes in village parking fees have been one attempt to control relentless tidal waves of tourists. The influx is not merely seasonal – since the COVID-19 pandemic, footfall in towns like Bala has soared, with data revealing car park usage up by over 70% compared to 2019. While the rise in visitors has provided some economic respite, with campsites and caravan parks thriving, the benefits often don’t reach local businesses as anticipated.
According to McTaggart, the majority of day-trippers to Llyn Tegid “leave behind heaps of litter, vandalise public benches, and block access for locals by parking illegally.” The easy reach from English cities such as Manchester, Liverpool, and Birmingham only intensifies the daily influx, he explained. Even visitors staying overnight tend to arrive fully provisioned, making only brief forays into town or, at times, stripping supermarket shelves bare rather than sustaining local shops and eateries.
The overtourism phenomenon stretches beyond Bala. Coastal towns like Barmouth and Dolgellau find themselves “under siege” during peak months, struggling with scant public facilities, inadequate signage, and declining numbers of pubs and public toilets. Meanwhile, northeast Wales is bracing for further pressure: a new national park is planned around the Dee Valley, and Wrexham continues to see a tourism boost since its football club’s profile was raised internationally.
Mountain rescue teams have expressed concerns about increased demand, with volunteers pushed to their limits as queues to summit Yr Wyddfa now regularly snake down the mountainside, irrespective of the season or weather conditions. The government is also eyeing wider visitor management strategies: Wales will introduce a national accommodation registration scheme from October 2026, paving the way for a proposed visitor levy – a so-called “tourist tax.”
The issue is by no means isolated to Wales. Across southern Europe, regions traditionally reliant on tourism are experiencing a pushback, with protests erupting in cities like Barcelona and Venice. Locals there have decried runaway housing costs and mass tourism pressures. Meanwhile, changes in Airbnb and short-term rental regulation across the continent could drive more visitors to Britain, further intensifying pressures on already popular UK destinations.
There is considerable debate in Wales about the best way forward. Proponents of the visitor levy, such as the Wales Tourism Alliance, emphasise the need for the funds raised to directly support strained towns and rural communities. Detractors, however, worry about the costs and whether local authorities will truly benefit from the revenue after administration.
On the ground, practical measures are being considered and implemented. The Eryri National Park Authority has recently approved plans to expand parking at Llyn Tegid and is planning stricter enforcement against problem parking. Andy McTaggart supports even more robust solutions – including gantry entry points or tolls, echoing congestion charge models seen elsewhere – with the aim of funnelling investment into infrastructure desperately needed for sustainable tourism.
Authorities, meanwhile, emphasise the importance of sustainable travel. Expanded fleets of Sherpa buses now serve the Yr Wyddfa area, while the Gwynedd and Eryri 2035 strategy seeks to balance housing, environment, and tourism needs. Experts suggest that, as climate change makes continental European holidays less attractive, the popularity of UK destinations will only grow, making the careful management of overtourism more urgent than ever.
Wales now faces a pivotal moment. As global travel habits shift and demand for its wild beauty continues to surge, the challenge is to preserve its landscapes and communities without losing the very qualities that draw people in the first place. The balancing act between welcoming visitors and maintaining the wellbeing of local life has rarely been so pressing.