Recently, a Reddit reader asked what destinations will most likely not be around, or at least available for tourism, in the not-so-distant future. This could be due to climate change, restrictions, war, etc, and the response is thought-provoking.
Bid Farewell to These Fascinating Places: Tourist Destinations That May Disappear in Your Lifetime
Don’t let time slip away! From the giant Sequoia forests to ancient ruins in Europe, these reader-suggested destinations should be at the top of your bucket list before it’s too late.
Or not? You decide. How many of these would you like to see in your lifetime?
1 The Great Barrier Reef
“I probably won’t get to see the Great Barrier Reef before it’s totally bleached”, commented Hostilian, to which Waste-Fan7341 replied, “I heard it’s recovering.”
The-Berzerker added, “Won’t be long with the ever rising ocean temperature and acidity because of our CO2 emissions.
2 Ancient Sequoia Redwood Forests
TacohTuesday laments, “I hope I’m wrong about this ending up on the list one day, but the ancient sequoia redwood forests in California continue to be threatened by severe forest fires. A couple years ago I visited a tree that was growing before the Roman Coliseum was constructed. Last year a firestorm got so close they had to wrap it in a foil blanket. Thankfully it survived, this time.”
Luckyleoleo responded, “This. So devastating what happened in Big Basin Redwoods State Park a couple years back. Makes you realize how vulnerable these forests are.”
3 The Dead Sea
FederalStore8984 suggest, “The Dead Sea, it’s estimated to lose up to 1m of depth every year. I visited in March 2022 and was astonished at the views and the marbled clay at the beach. Even though it was March, it was still 22 degrees celsius. Recommend it definitely.”
4 Ancient Ruins and Temples
Reader Vaycaytime adds, “Honestly in general it’s ancient ruins & temples. Overtime they have become more restrictive (understandably) but it takes away from the experience, and see closer details.” Others chimed in with their thoughts.
5 Cloud Forests
Reader Star-pants suggests, “Cloud forests, they’re such an ecological niche that they’re pretty threatened.” Silver_straw_hat agreed and added, “This. Went to MonteVerde Cloud Forest in Costa Rica last year, and the guide said the estimate is around 10 years before the Cloud Forest is gone.
6 Natural Arches
Landscape arch in arches National Park. It’s eroding fast people. It’s the longest natural arch in the world,” was suggested by Rozmarymarlo and suddenly_seymour replied, “Definitely impressive but imo there are several equally or more impressive arches in Arches NP and Canyonlands NP.”
Not to be left out of the conversation, rob-the-flip says, “True, but EVERYTHING there is eroding. Some wall might just create a new arch. They even state it many times at Arches.”
7 Syria and Palmyra
This reader says, “Syria has some of the best roman ruins in the world, as well as Palmyra and the single best preserved Crusader castle in the world.
It sucks so hard that I won’t get there to see that stuff. Even if it’s stable enough to go, so much of it is destroyed. Castle was half destroyed, Palmyra was half destroyed. It’s devastating.”
8 Venice, Italy
Cassieq929 put “Venice, Italy” at the top of their list.
acynicalwitch is a step ahead and added, “This is exactly why I chose it for an upcoming trip with my kid; I don’t trust that it will be there by the time they’re old enough to afford to go themselves.”
9 Yellowstone
PrairieDawgPup’s reasons are a bit more dire, suggesting, “Yellowstone after the volcano blows.” That came as a surprise to acynicalwitch, but Kmalbrec explains, “If you don’t want to experience an overwhelming sense of foreboding your next step definitely should not be to google “Yellowstone super volcano”
10 Vatnajokull Glacier in Iceland
Reddit reader wangarangg adds Iceland to the list saying, “Vatnajokull glacier in Iceland, melting each year at a rapid pace due to global warming.”
11 Churchill, Manitoba
“Churchill Manitoba for polar tourism. Polar bears used to number > 5000 in the 80s to about 850 in 2016 to about 600 today. Ice breaks up early, which fails to support many bears in one of the best known places in the world to visit them” says tarteaucitrons.
niz_loc agrees, saying, “Was there in 2016. Place is surreal.”
12 UNESCO World Heritage site, Sanaa
Sadly, Italy (#70) suggests, “Sanaa, but already now it is lost due to the ongoing conflict in Yemen. The old town, which is a UNESCO World Heritage, has been heavily bombed.” Others agreed.
13 Another Vote For Venice, Italy
sf-o-matic says, “Venice Italy will likely be flooded before too long. The Great Salt Lake in Utah is disappearing. The Great Barrier Reef is half dead.”
14 Moscow
Fun-Cauliflower-1724 said, “I always thought Moscow would be interesting to visit but I guess that’s impossible now.”
15 The Dead Sea and Great Salt Lake
yzerman88 adds, “Depending on your age, the Dead Sea might be down to it’s last few drops.” Others added, “Similarly the Great Salt Lake is a shadow of what it used to be.”
hazycrazydaze goes on to say, “I went to the spiral jetty about ten years ago and it was bone dry, had to walk pretty far to get to the actual water. Always wanted to go back when the water was higher. I guess that’s not happening.”
16 Quickly Receding Glaciers
randalman73 adds this to the list, “Glaciers in the Rockies of Alberta BC are receding faster than my hairline. See them while you can.”
What Would You Add?
Did Reddit readers get it right? What else should be on the list?
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Karee Blunt is a nationally syndicated travel journalist, focused on discovering destinations and experiences that captivate and inspire others through her writing. She is also the founder of Our Woven Journey, a travel site focused on inspiring others to create memory-making adventures with their loved ones. Karee is passionate about encouraging others to step out of their comfort zone and live the life they dream of. She is the mother of six kids, including four through adoption, and lives with her family in the Pacific Northwest. You can learn more about Karee on her about me page.