Summer holidays 2025: I'm a travel expert - and these are the destinations you should avoid that are crowded with tourists

A recent study by an online company revealed the top ten destinations that will be overcrowded this summer. The analysis examined popular global destinations using a multi-factor crowdedness score considering search volume, physical area, visitor numbers, hotel availability, and accommodation costs. The scoring methodology combined these factors into a normalized index with values ranging from 0-100, where higher scores indicate more severe overcrowding potential.

A spokesperson from the online gaming company commented on the study: “Overcrowding in tourist spots is not just about how many visitors there are, but also where the hotels and tourist services are located. Cities with most of their hotels in the center often feel more crowded. This is why small European capitals can feel packed, even if they attract fewer visitors than bigger cities in Asia or America. When planning trips, it might be useful to look at how many hotels are in a city’s center, rather than just the total number of visitors, if you want to avoid the crowds.”

The top 10 destinations you should avoid this summer.

1. Paris

Paris, France, takes the top position of the destinations that will be most overcrowded this summer, with a score of 86.02. The city's compact area of just 105 km² struggles to accommodate 9.5 million summer visitors. Paris showcases the highest hotel density among all destinations, creating a particularly concentrated tourist infrastructure that contributes significantly to its congestion issues.

2. Tokyo

Tokyo, Japan. secures the second spot with a score of 76.77 despite spanning a much larger area than Paris. With 4,400 hotels, the most numerous of any destination, Tokyo offers the most budget-friendly accommodations at an average of $78 per night. This affordability likely draws additional budget-conscious travelers, intensifying the city's crowdedness.

3. San Diego

San Diego, California, emerges in third place with a score of 63.79, a substantial drop from Tokyo's rating. Unlike Paris and Tokyo, which both host over 9 million visitors, San Diego welcomes 8 million summer tourists despite generating the lowest number of searches among the top five destinations. The city's average hotel cost of $406 is more than five times Tokyo's rate and nearly double what travelers pay in Paris.

4. Rome

Rome, Italy, holds the fourth position with a 58.74 score. The Italian capital attracts 5.5 million summer visitors, considerably fewer than San Diego's 8 million, who navigate its historical center filled with 1,656 hotel establishments, similar to Paris's hotel count, despite Rome covering an area 12 times larger.

5. Cancun

Cancun, Mexico, comes in fifth with a crowdedness score of 58.23. Despite its relatively smaller area of 143 km², Cancun features the second-highest hotel concentration at 79 hotels. The Mexican resort destination generates over 3.2 million online searches, indicating substantial tourism interest.

6. London

London, England, appears sixth in the rankings with a 55.42 score. The British capital distributes its 5 million summer visitors, similar to Rome, across a considerably larger area of 1,572 km². London's hotel costs average $234, nearly identical to Paris despite having less than one-fifteenth the hotel density. This suggests London's accommodations are more spacious and less crowded than those in Paris or Cancun.

7. Punta Cana

Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, places seventh with a score of 54.25 while generating the highest search number at over 4.27 million. Despite relatively modest visitor numbers, Punta Cana commands the highest average hotel cost during peak season at $271, pointing to accommodation scarcity in this Caribbean destination.

8. Marrakesh

Marrakesh, Morocco, stands eighth on the list with a 52.25 crowdedness score. The city welcomes 4.3 million visitors, comparable to London and Rome, to its compact 230 km² area while offering accommodations at $127 per night, the most affordable option after Tokyo. Unlike Cancun, which has a similarly sized area but twice the hotel density, Marrakesh maintains a moderate distribution of tourists throughout its historic medina and newer districts.

9. Hawaii

Hawaii, United States, occupies the ninth position with a score of 50.77. The island state features the largest area at 10,430 km², which is nearly 5 times larger than Tokyo and almost 100 times the size of Paris, yet receives only 227,000 visitors, a tiny fraction compared to other destinations. Hawaii's average nightly rate of $639 is more than 50% higher than San Diego's and over eight times Tokyo's budget-friendly accommodations.

10. Bali

Bali, Indonesia, rounds out the top ten with the lowest crowdedness score of 49.24. The Indonesian island attracts 1.7 million summer visitors across its expansive 5,780 km² territory. With just 162 hotels, the fewest of any destination, Bali maintains the lowest hotel density, indicating widely dispersed tourism facilities despite substantial online interest exceeding 3.1 million searches.