Welsh natural gem ‘overrun with tourists’

Ella Groves

A Welsh natural beauty is being overwhelmed by visitors, with the influx of tourists harming the natural landscape, according to a popular travel guide.

Listed as one the Best Places to Visit in 2024 by The New York Times, Bannau Brycheiniog National Park has seen a rapid increase in visitors, with over four million people visiting the park last year alone.

In their discussion of overtourism, Forbes have included Bannau Brycheiniog National Park as a location “you might want to think twice before booking” for 2025.

Described as a once “secret favorite by locals and its predominant sheep population,” the national park cannot cope with the rapidly growing visitor numbers according to the report.

Park officials have had to ask influencers to adhere to ‘countryside morals’ and not strip down in the waterfalls to take selfies or treat the park like a beach, Forbes has said.

Many tourists also arrived at the national park entirely unprepared for the unpredictable Welsh weather and rough terrain dressed in flip-flops and bathing suits.

Perhaps the biggest problem being faced by the national park however is the growing number of people leaving litter and belongings behind on the mountains.

Travel guide, UK Hidden Gems, has called for people to “LeaveNoTrace!” when travelling the countryside.

Their website tells tourists: “As with anywhere outdoors, kindly keep these areas pristine and wild by taking all trash with you. The amount of complaints we have seen since the pandemic is crazy. It’s really not that hard to take your rubbish with you!

“Litter tends to spread, so if you see any and are able to pick it up and dispose of it outside the hidden gem, it will help keep the area tidy.”

Bannau Brycheiniog National Park is likely to continue to see increased visitor numbers throughout 2026 making it even more important to protect the natural landscape through respectful tourism practices.