During the same period, Thailand recorded 32 million and Vietnam 15.8 million foreign tourist arrivals. Across ASEAN, the tourism sector is nearing pre-pandemic levels. Given the sector’s critical importance to national economies, service sector jobs, local communities and foreign exchange earnings, there should be much reason for celebration.

However, celebrations are muted as countries are counting the cost of overtourism, such as ugly and excessive construction, defilement of sacred monuments, environmental degradation, garbage crises, water shortages and irresponsible behaviors of tourists whose numbers have overwhelmed authorities and infrastructure.

Several of these problems have been observed in Indonesia in the past year with stakeholders from Bali to Lake Toba to Yogyakarta to Manado flagging concerns.

Globally, some of the favorite tourism nations like the Netherlands, France, Italy and Greece in Europe, and Japan, South Korea and New Zealand in Asia Pacific and several others are voicing concerns about the long-term negative impacts created by the current model of tourism.

Under this vast number of international tourists (a huge 1.1 billion globally from January to November 2024), travel to destinations made popular through social media, articles, rankings, campaigns, influencers and word-of-mouth. Low-cost airlines, budget hotels, customized tour packages, minimal visa requirements, group travel, conferences and events are all contributing to the surge.

To be photographed at the trending destination and count likes and hearts seems to be the overriding objective of most tourists. Few are careful about their “garbage footprint” and the cultural etiquette of the country that they are visiting.