That worn, old American passport in your travel wallet no longer guarantees you access to the world. While you may have enjoyed postponed vacations and searched for fare deals, a significant and lasting change has been quietly occurring.
Around the globe, open borders are being replaced with digital barriers, new fees, and strict restrictions. This is not a fleeting reaction to politics or pandemics; it is a permanent global recalibration.
Countries everywhere are fundamentally redefining who, and how many, can visit in response to the overwhelming impact of mass tourism. Why pay attention now? The carefree travel ethos of a generation is coming to an end.
Entering 2025 unaware is like driving with an outdated map, expecting dead ends, secret tolls, and doors slammed shut. A missed online form or an unexpected fee can ruin your trip. Now, the real question isn’t where you can go, but if you can go at all.
This article serves as an essential resource, illuminating the intricate dynamics of 16 nations and one prominent economic bloc that are redefining their entry regulations. It is important to reevaluate any preconceived notions you may have; the information provided herein is vital for navigating the complexities of contemporary global travel.
Utilizing this knowledge will enable travelers to engage more thoughtfully and effectively in a world that increasingly demands greater accountability from those who visit its borders.
The European Union (The Bureaucratic Overhaul)
The days of Americans landing in Paris or Rome with just a passport and breezing through immigration are coming to an end. The EU is steadily building the European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS), a new digital entry requirement.
While not a traditional visa, it requires pre-travel approval, turning easy entry into a vetted process. Spontaneity must now pass official screening before departure.
Scheduled for complete implementation in mid-2025, ETIAS will require American travelers to submit a detailed online application and pay a $7.50 (€7) fee for a three-year entry permission to the 27 Schengen Zone countries.
The European Commission states that this is to “boost security screening.” Still, it also generates a record volume of data on the 1.4 billion individuals who were previously able to travel there freely without needing permission beforehand. It’s a fundamental rewiring of freedom of movement.
Netherlands (The ‘Get Out’ Campaign)
Amsterdam is moving past its party city image, openly telling some tourists to go. Its “stay away” campaign targets people searching for “stag party Amsterdam,” aiming to control visitors and clean up its image, even if it costs tourist revenue.
A steel-strengthened policy supports this. In a historic ruling reported by The New York Times in 2023, Amsterdam prohibited mega cruise ships from docking at its city center port to mitigate pollution and overcrowding of visitors. The governing entities are also working to limit or relocate the Red Light District.
The message is unequivocal: the city is regaining its residents’ soul, and visitors who once defined its identity will no longer define its second renaissance.
Spain (The Residents’ Revolt)
The holiday rental boom has turned vibrant Spanish streets into hotel zones, and the locals have had enough. Protesters are marching from Barcelona to the Canary Islands, protesting rising housing prices, declining public services, and a vicious backlash against tourism.
The graffiti painted on the walls puts it plainly: “Tourists Go Home.” Tens of thousands marched in April 2024 in the Canary Islands to demonstrate under the slogan “Canarias tiene un límite” (The Canaries have a limit), a turning point covered by the BBC. Popular indignation is getting politics moving.
Barcelona has banned new tourist apartments in its most central districts, and median rents in desirable tourist destinations have increased by over 30% since 2015, according to Bloomberg, which highlights why residents grumble that the tourism boom has come at their expense.
Italy (The Pay-to-Enter City)
Venice, overwhelmed by day-trippers, is doing all it can to survive. With crowds clogging narrow streets and contributing little to the city’s economy, its core is treated as a museum, one that now requires an entry fee. It’s not about revenue but survival.
After successive UNESCO alerts to its vulnerable status, Venice launched its controversial pay-to-enter policy in 2024. Day-trippers are now charged $5.30 (€5) on peak days, with fines of up to $320 (€300) for non-payment.
Florence has also taken action, reports Forbes, by stopping new Airbnb-style listings in its UNESCO-listed historic center in late 2023 to combat the hollowing out of its residential core.
Japan (The Cultural Pushback)
Japan’s reopening post-pandemic led to an unprecedented level of visitation. This, combined with aspects of Japanese culture and the delicacy of the situation, has left locals to experience what they refer to as “kankō kōgai”; that is, tourism pollution.
Despite this orderly society that emphasizes respect, travelers have been disrespectful.
With their first moments experiencing Japan having an intense impact on so many aspects of culture, authorities have now had no choice but to implement targeted measures at religious and culturally significant sites to protect social cohesion.
In Kyoto’s historic Gion district, a strict ban now prevents visitors from entering the geiko and maiko private alleys where they live and train, a response to what officials termed paparazzi-style harassment.
Meanwhile, on Mount Fuji, trekkers on the Yoshida Trail, the most popular route to the summit, now pay $13 and are subject to a daily visitor limit of 4,000. CNN reports these measures as designed to minimize the environmental damage and safety risks inherent in a congested climb.
Bhutan (The High-Value, Low-Volume Kingdom)
Bhutan has turned the entire country into the world’s most exclusive travel club. Its “High-Value, Low-Volume” tourism approach, intensified post-pandemic, now requires a financial threshold that reserves travel for the world’s wealthiest. This is the most accessible example of closing its doors to most travelers.
The kingdom shocked the tourism sector in 2022 by increasing its mandatory Sustainable Development Fee (SDF) from $65 to a whopping $200 per person, per night. Re-adjusted subsequently to $100 to spur demand, the fee remains a good deterrent.
The Bhutan Tourism Council explains that this fee directly supports the country’s free education and healthcare, so every tourist trip is an outright investment in the nation’s social fabric; a cost that excludes the vast majority of would-be travelers.
Portugal (The Golden Visa Door Slams Shut)
Portugal attracted American expats and digital nomads, but its “Golden Visa” fueled a housing shortage. Lisbon rents soared, displacing locals from historic areas like Alfama. The government is stepping in to reverse course.
With the “Mais Habitação” (More Housing) law of 2023, Portugal significantly reduced its Golden Visa scheme and suspended the issuance of new short-term rental licenses in many cities. Bloomberg reports Lisbon rents soared by 37% in 2023 alone.
The policy shift makes it clear: Portugal is prioritizing housing for its citizens over the interests of international buyers and tourists.
New Zealand (The True Cost of Nature)
The stunning New Zealand landscapes are not a free-access amusement park. The country has officially started charging tourists for the environmental damage they cause, integrating the cost of conservation into the entry fee.
This is a bold step that resembles shifting the tourist’s role to that of a stakeholder responsible for maintenance. Before they reach New Zealand, most international guests, including Americans, need to pay a $22.50 (NZ$35) International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy (IVL).
New Zealand’s Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment states that money contributes directly to projects like the maintenance of the country’s much-ballyhooed Great Walks and funding biosecurity initiatives that assist in protecting its native wildlife.
The government is actively choosing “higher-quality” tourists who understand and help this model.
Iceland (The Tipping Point)
Iceland, which has a population of fewer than 400,000, receives over two million tourists annually. Its sensitive environments and limited infrastructure are being put under immense stress. Its policymakers are debating whether to impose taxes or cap the number of visitors to slow growth.
The debate, closely monitored by the Financial Times, concerns the dramatic increase in current tourist taxes and possibly instituting a hard cap on tourist arrivals. Prime Minister Katrín Jakobsdóttir has been quoted as saying that the country needs to shift its focus to sustainability.
The recent volcanic eruptions have merely sharpened this debate, reminding everyone of the country’s vulnerability and the sheer challenge of balancing visitor security and conservation.
Croatia (The ‘Respect the City’ Mandate)
Dubrovnik nearly choked on its popularity. The city’s “Respect the City” initiative aims to reclaim its streets, making them less appealing to mass-market tourists while enhancing local quality of life.
The most beneficial provision of the plan is the restriction on cruise ships, which allows only two per day and staggers their arrival to avoid the dreaded midday crush.
A “Luggage Storage” system has also been implemented, encouraging visitors to pay to leave their bags behind at city gates rather than navigating the cacophonous, stone-age streets.
Mayor Mato Franković has been candid, saying the aim is to prioritize quality and sustainability over sheer numbers.
Austria (The Hallstatt Blockade)
Hallstatt, with 750 residents, saw up to 10,000 day-trippers daily seeking one famous view. In 2023, the mayor even erected a fence to block the panorama, a clear signal that the town had reached its limit.
While the fence was a temporary solution, the mindset remains unchanged. Damage to the common good is taking on new meaning, and even the mayor has stated there will be a reduction in tourism by at least a third.
Hallstatt has welcomed more than a million tourists this year, which is encouraging. The town is implementing a limit on tour buses and introducing a ticketing system, making it clear that they are moving away from an open-door stance.
Indonesia (The Bali Behavior Bond)
Bali has lost its patience. A series of viral episodes of tourists performing vulgar acts in front of live animals at sacred sites, drunk driving, and visa infractions have caused the island known as the “Island of the Gods” to tighten its rules.
The island’s spiritual paradise is introducing new regulations, taxes, and a special task force to convey, both verbally and non-verbally, that “respect our home or you will be unwanted here.”
As of February 2024, a $10 tourist tax is levied on all foreign visitors to support cultural preservation. More specifically, the authorities have created the “Bali Becik” task force to arrest and expel offending foreigners.
As the Associated Press noted, large “do’s and don’ts” billboards now greet arrivals, with the new, strict code of conduct impossible to avoid.
France (The Velvet Rope at the Park)
In a nation that has long welcomed visitors, the idea of “too many” has finally arrived. To protect its iconic natural beauty, France is introducing an era of controlled access. Happenstance visits are giving way to reserving your spot in advance.
This is most glaringly apparent in places like the Calanques National Park on the outskirts of Marseille and the island of Porquerolles, which now charge free but mandatory online reservations to restrict the number of tourists per day.
Authorities claim that this is based on the environmental principle of “carrying capacity,” and statistics show that the measures have been highly effective at keeping the areas litter-free and protecting delicate biodiversity. This reservation model is now the standard for safeguarding other beloved natural sites across France.
Greece (The Cruise Control)
The idyllic Greek islands, which have such limited sources of water and electricity, have been overwhelmed by colossus-sized cruise ships that deposit thousands of people for a few hours at a time.
Finally, the government has intervened, acting to protect its most valuable assets, the islands themselves, by setting a rigid limit on the maritime traffic that has overwhelmed them to the point of collapse.
In 2024, Greece introduced a new berth-allocation policy limiting the number of cruise ship tourists allowed to visit heavily over-touristed islands, such as Santorini and Mykonos, in a single day.
For Instance, on Santorini, this policy could reduce the maximum number of peak-day travelers from a chaotic 18,000 to a more manageable 8,000. It’s a brave move to manage tourist flows and make the islands sustainable destinations in the long term.
Thailand (The Visa Run Crackdown)
The era of Thailand as a default residence for serial tourists and remote workers is over. The all-too-familiar “visa run,” the quick border sprint to renew a tourist visa for a few more months, is being systematically dismantled.
The new government is cracking down on immigration enforcement, evidence that the nation is shifting toward a more controlled and less anything-goes model of tourism.
At border crossings in 2023 and 2024, immigration officials have also tightened their procedures, denying re-entry to thousands of individuals who were thought to be employed and living in the country on successive tourist visas.
Along with the recent abandonment of the liberal cannabis policy and current discussions regarding a statutory tourist entry fee, it would appear the relaxed, anything-goes atmosphere is being systematically dismantled.
United Kingdom (The Coming Digital Border)
As part of its post-Brexit strategy for complete control of its borders, the United Kingdom is building its digital wall. The United Kingdom’s Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) scheme will mirror the EU’s ETIAS, with an additional pre-travel authorization requirement for all travelers who do not currently require a visa, including Americans.
The typical seamless travel between the U.S. and the U.K. will become more complicated. The ETA is being rolled out in phases and is expected to be mandatory for Americans by 2025. It will cost $12.50 (£10) and will require an online application for a two-year authorization.
The U.K. Home Office has framed the ETA as necessary for “making the U.K. border one of the most effective and secure in the world,” thereby ending the days when it was sufficient for U.S. tourists to arrive with a valid passport alone.
Key Takeaways
The world isn’t closing its doors, but is setting new conditions for entry. Traveling now requires more planning, awareness, and respect for local rules than ever before.
Bureaucracy is rising, making entry approvals, such as ETIAS and ETA, essential. Always check the latest requirements on official sites and allocate time for online applications and processing before you travel.
Budget for higher costs: Expect more required fees, such as entry, conservation, and tourist levies in many destinations, which are now standard and non-negotiable. Include them in your travel planning.
The Crowd Isn’t Welcome: The most significant threat is overtourism, prompting destinations to fight back with caps, reservation systems, and outright prohibitions. To travel successfully in 2025, consider traveling off-season, to other cities, and reserving entry to prime sites well in advance.
Respect is expected: Your actions matter. Bad behavior can result in penalties or expulsion in destinations such as Bali, Amsterdam, and Dubrovnik. Understanding and following local laws and customs is crucial for entry.
Disclaimer: This list is solely the author’s opinion based on research and publicly available information. It is not intended to be professional advice.
16 Grocery Staples to Stock Up On Before Prices Spike Again
16 Grocery Staples to Stock Up On Before Prices Spike Again
I was in the grocery store the other day, and it hit me—I’m buying the exact same things I always do, but my bill just keeps getting higher. Like, I swear I just blinked, and suddenly eggs are a luxury item. What’s going on?
Inflation, supply-chain delays, and erratic weather conditions have modestly (or, let’s face it, dramatically) pushed the prices of staples ever higher. The USDA reports that food prices climbed an additional 2.9% year over year in May 2025—and that’s after the inflation storm of 2022–2023.
So, if you’ve got room in a pantry, freezer, or even a couple of extra shelves, now might be a good moment to stock up on these staple groceries—before the prices rise later.
6 Gas Station Chains With Food So Good It’s Worth Driving Out Of Your Way For
6 Gas Station Chains With Food So Good It’s Worth Driving Out Of Your Way For
We scoured the Internet to see what people had to say about gas station food. If you think the only things available are wrinkled hot dogs of indeterminate age and day-glow slushies, we’ve got great, tasty news for you. Whether it ends up being part of a regular routine or your only resource on a long car trip, we have the food info you need.
Let’s look at 6 gas stations that folks can’t get enough of and see what they have for you to eat.
