Across the world, popular travel destinations are struggling to cope with large influxes of visitors – particularly during peak seasons.

An endless flow of visitors might sound like a good problem for a country to have, but, as we’ve been seeing more often, overtourism is not only an issue for residents – who are being overcrowded and facing damage to local structures – but it’s also happening at detriment to local environments.

Recently, we revealed that Boracay Island was re-opening, following a six-month clean-up of the natural site. Overtoursim saw the once-pristine beach destroyed, and its government will now enforce strict rules for tourism businesses and visitors. We also noted that the Italian government was having to fine tourists for eating in certain areas of Florence to help local businesses deal with the high volume of foot traffic coming through the aging city. And, more recently, Thailand’s Hollywood-famous Maya Bay was permanently closed to allow the environment to recover from the effects of overtourism.

So, what can we, as avid travellers, do to ensure we’re not contributing to the problem?

Firstly, taking the road less travelled by exploring less-frequented destinations is a good start. There’s a whole world of little-known destinations awaiting discovery.

Another thing we can do is travel outside of the peak seasons. Europe is beautiful across the seasons – and visiting Venice, for instance, outside of summer will have the added benefit of saving you some coinage for extra pasta servings. It’s a win-win.

And, of course, it’s more important than ever to make sure we’re respectful of the destinations we’re visiting. Leave nothing but footsteps behind, support local businesses, be mindful of water usage and – if in doubt – ask a local for insider tips and lesser-known sightseeing recommendations.