Edinburgh named one of the world's most serious 'overtourism hotspots'

Overnight visitor numbers to Edinburgh have soared by
 nearly a third in the space of seven years, to 4.26 million.

Edinburgh has been named alongside Amsterdam, Rome, Venice and Barcelona as one of the world's worst hotspots for "overtourism".

The Scottish capital has been cited alongside the Taj Mahal, in India, the Peruvian citadel of Machu Picchu, Dubrovnik, in Croatia, and Iceland as famous destinations "that can no longer cope with their own popularity."

A global travel news website has told how some Edinburgh residents "have had enough" of visitors to the city and highlights the plans by the city council to introduce the UK's first tourist tax.

CNN Travel has also cited "the pressure of huge numbers descending on the city centre" in August for the annual Edinburgh Festival season and the growth in the short-term letting market driving up rents for "normal people."

By Brian Ferguson.

Full story at Scotsman.