A town or region or even a country can appeal to so many tourists that the very experience of being there changes. And the destination may change itself to encourage and accommodate even more tourism. Does this detract from the quality of the experience of being there? Does success—as measured by the number of visitors—ruin an attraction? Or can change, and even the presence of so many people, be positive? We explore these questions as we examine a half-dozen destinations, from the wild to the exotic to the distinctively homegrown. Each has become a major draw for tourists. But success has treated each differently. At one extreme is Disneyland—the attraction wouldn't exist without crowds of tourists. At the other is Costa Rica—the fragile quality of the traveler's experience there may be threatened by its popularity. Here are reports on how six destinations are affected by, and are coping with, burgeoning crowds of visitors.

lake tahoe
thailand
disneyland
north beach
costa rica
mendocino
hood river