New research has uncovered the world’s busiest tourist destination. Despite throngs of visitors flocking to favourites such as Venice and Tenerife, the planet’s most tourist-heavy spot is far further from Blighty.
According to a study from MoneyTransfers.com, Phuket in Thailand takes the crown as the world’s most touristy place.
The data revealed that the city of Phuket in Thailand has 118 tourists for every local resident.
Such is the scale of the issue, that much like lawmakers in Venice, authorities have imposed a tourist tax to try and manage numbers.
Visitors have remarked upon how overrun the place is with visitors and issued warnings to those planning a trip to the Thai holiday hotspot.
One visitor wrote on Tripadvisor: “I made my first trip to Phuket in the mid 70’s and have returned many times since, the latest around seven years ago.
“Needless to say there have been huge changes over the years and I expected to see a lot more people there during our visit. However, nothing could have prepared me for the hordes of people crowding the island, the beaches and the day tours to outlying islands.
“A crush of new tourists are arriving and often on non-stop, wide bodied flights. This is on top of an already large number of tourists visiting from other countries and from within Thailand itself, and my perception is that the sheer number of bodies is overwhelming the place.
“Fortunately we had a nice resort away from the crowds so the visit was not a total loss. If you love wall to wall people, go to Phuket, but if not, I suggest you look for some less crowded places in the region.”
In April this year, the government brought in a tourist tax that sees visitors pay an extra £6.60 on top of their flight costs.