Your Favorite Thing to Do on Vacation Is Making Travel Worse
People taking selfies and moving on might seem like an annoyance at most, but they magnify every issue of overtourism. Some solutions are emerging.
Selfie-snappers in Santorini, Greece in April 2026.
Photographer: Brandon Presser/BloombergFlamingos aren't native to Aruba, but that doesn't stop throngs of tourists from flocking to the island to pose with them every year. The privately-owned Flamingo Beach is artificially populated with the pink birds, and the only ways to get in are by staying at the Renaissance Wind Creek Resort or by picking up one of a couple dozen $125 day passes, which sell out almost as quickly as Bad Bunny concert tickets.
Travel blogger Shalyn Vukich went to Aruba in November 2020 specifically to get that iconic flamingo shot — she even packed an ocean-blue swimsuit to match the famously turquoise waters. Similarly, Suffolk, UK-based network marketing professional Connie Cardy packed matching pink outfits for her and her daughters ahead of their own influencer-inspired trip in October 2025.