EXCLUSIVE Bank Holiday weekend HELL: Locals in the UK's picture postcard tourist hotspots warn their villages are buckling under the weight of floods of visitors - as thousands of families travelling for mini breaks wreak havoc on traffic, parking and businesses Overcrowding, car parking issues and out of order public toilets plague locals By Elizabeth Haigh and Miriam Kuepper Published: 03:41 EDT, 27 May 2024 | Updated: 04:06 EDT, 27 May 2024 e-mail 105 View comments Families across the UK's tourist hotspots say they dread the vast hordes of visitors that bring chaos to their doorsteps every bank holiday. Overcrowding, out of order public toilets and parking disputes are just some of the issues plaguing picture postcard honeypots, with some locals even reporting being threatened by angry visitors looking to park on their drives. Entire coachloads of new arrivals descend on some of the UK's small and quaint villages on bank holidays, such as the beautiful Bourton-on-the-Water in Gloucestershire, to soak up the sun and enjoy the idyllic surroundings .
Meanwhile in Whitby, North Yorkshire, even some of the local traders are complaining that tourism is getting too much, while in Salcombe, Devon, business owners sayhigh housing costs driven by tourism make it difficult to find staff. And Saturday once again saw locals left frustrated by the issues caused by overcrowding, from selfie takers blocking the road while posing for photographs to the vast queues forming outside local caf.