Should you stop sharing about 'hidden gem' destinations on social media?

Every hidden gem comes with a modern travel dilemma: Share it and risk fuelling overtourism, keep it secret and risk withholding livelihoods and be selfish. So, is there truly a solution to this double whammy?Gatekeeping destination is internet's latest travel dilemma (Photo: Getty)"Postcards from the Sainj Valley! I met this amazing family in the hills who run a vintage cottage called..."Backspace."Postcards from a hilly paradise I shall never forget!" - edited caption.After 20 minutes of contemplation, Ekta Mathur finally shared her vacation photos on social media. What took so long? Not the choice of the photo dump, but the caption. “I often gatekeep destinations at least on social media. But last time, when I went to Raila, Sainj valley, I stayed at a wonderful homestay. The only reason I told about it to family, friends and a couple of neighbours was because I wanted that family's business to grow. They are saving up so that their daughter can play football. But I didn't add a location on my Insta because that's a slippery slope," a 34-year-old IT professional and avid traveller from Surat tells India Today.She's not the only one. Increasingly, travellers are finding themselves torn between two compelling instincts: wanting to support a hidden gem by talking about it, and wanting to hide and protect it from becoming the internet's next casualty.Social media is calling this 'destination gatekeeping'. Of course, this is not new. You have probably thought about it multiple times, but now the conversation is only growing louder on internet and among travellers.Travel is increasingly synonymous with hyperlocal experiences. But travellers are in a fix: Is geotagging (adding location on a social media post) a mark of a responsible tourist or hiding an offbeat destination a selfish move that also deprives someone of livelihood?Remember how Marcello in Emily in Paris Season 4 wanted to gatekeep his idyllic village, Solitano, from the eyes of social media? But the moment people got to know, tourists poured in all over.That's precisely the debate IRL.To geotag or not to geotagFrom bumper-to-bumper traffic in Mussoorie and Manali to plastic bottles lining once-pristine trails, overtourism is no longer just a buzzword. Destinations are growing faster than the infrastructure needs to support them. Apart from better policies, social media can be partly blamed.“As soon as an offbeat place gets popular, you start seeing Maggi packets, Coke bottles, beer cans and litter everywhere. We as humans cannot let beautiful places just be. Look at what Thailand has done to Phi Phi. I'm in the Seychelles right now—it's so commercialised, and you get the same mass-produced stuff everywhere,” Srishti Tehri, a traveller and content creator, tells India Today. Overtourism is increasingly becoming a global issue that is damaging the environment and affecting the local residents as well (Photo: Getty) But while travel has witnessed a meteoric rise, so has the essence of sustainability among travellers.Booking.com's Travel & Sustainability Report 2026 revealed that 72 per cent of people say they are more determined to travel more sustainably now than they were a year ago, while 55 per cent want to help reduce pressure on destinations. And gatekeeping is one of the many ways for some people.Is it the perfect plan then?For starters, Tehri supports the idea.“I don't think it's a double whammy at all. I don't think people are being selfish by trying to protect places, and I respect them. They have reached somewhere after doing a lot of research or because a friend told them through word of mouth, and that's only happened because they have the capacity to be responsible. I do think, however, that people who share locations are selfish."While the intent is well-meaning, travel experts see it as more of a stopgap solution.Mandip Singh Soin, founding president of the Responsible Tourism Society of India and founder of Ibex Expeditions, believes it is a grey area and not a sustainable solution to overtourism.“We are so fed up with overtourism and people misusing destinations because of a lack of knowledge, so the instinct is to naturally protect the destination because you're seeing destruction everywhere. That emotion emanates from there. But that's a fairly short-term solution because all these places, sooner or later, will get found out.” Hidden gem or not, tourist influx “You can't have absolute control over who's going to share what or what is going to be blanked out. Although I appreciate where that emotion is coming from. That's why the debate must be on,” he adds.Meanwhile, Rohan Sharma, a 27-year-old CA and photographer, has a rather blunt take and considers hiding travel spots as elitist.“When travellers don't come, communities don't earn. I've met families in small villages who were eager for visitors—not because they wanted to perform their culture, but because they needed income and tourism was the most viable option they had. Telling those families that we're 'protecting' them by not sending people their way is deeply paternalistic."Secrecy vs liveliood: But is gatekeeping that bad?Tehri disagrees.“I do not think locals necessarily need earning opportunities by monetising a place. Tourism is a very lazy tactic to get people money,” she argues, adding that governments should instead create more sustainable livelihoods.But not everyone is entirely onboard.Aviral Gupta, CEO, Zostel, Zo World, says tourism is often the first real economic engine for remote communities. “For many families, a homestay is what allows them to earn a living on their own land instead of migrating to cities. The problem isn't tourism—it's badly managed tourism. The answer is to build it better, not walk away from it.” A homestay in Sainj Valley where the owners are trying to save up to let their daughter pursue her dream of football (Photo: Ekta Mathur) Soin, who has decades of experience in the industry, brings another perspective.“You will actually be doing them a favour by gatekeeping. Once you reveal a place, it gets overrun. There's a cycle—a flood of tourists comes in, the destination gets ruined, and it goes back into a terrible situation where people hate going there. So you will only have helped them for a year or two, but in the long term it will be problematic for them.”That's also where both sides of the debate find common ground. Gatekeeping may buy a destination some time, but responsible travel is what will protect it in the long run.How to be a responsible touristNot geotagging or replying to 'DM for location' will not save the day in the long term. But being an intentional traveller can. Heads up, though—you'll need to put in a little effort.Here's a lowdown on being a responsible traveller as per our experts:Carry trash bags and be proactive about not littering, as garbage disposal is often not as efficient as it is in cities.Bring reusable bottles and refill them wherever possible to reduce plastic pollution.Promote alternatives, not just hotspots. For every overcrowded destination, there are several equally beautiful nearby places that receive little attention. Spreading travellers across these destinations can reduce pressure far more effectively than gatekeeping.Gupta highlights the importance of rationing access. A limited number of permits or passes can control how many travellers visit a place during a given period, helping manage the load without shutting anyone out while keeping earning opportunities alive for local communities.Travel in the off-season. Most destinations get overcrowded only during peak holidays. Visiting during quieter months or staying longer instead of rushing through multiple places can help reduce the crowds.Research your accommodation's sustainability practices and eco credentials before booking. Also, be mindful of what you're eating—avoid places that serve endangered or protected species. What you post and how post can make a difference (Photo: Getty) Don't forget the digital responsibilityAccording to Gupta, being responsible online is about being intentional with how you share, not whether you share.“Digital responsibility does not mean going silent. A place worth discovering will eventually surface online. Credit the local host. Tag the homestay, not just the viewpoint. Tell people when the season is wrong, when the road is difficult, and when a place needs to be treated gently.”Digital media can be immensely valuable in spreading that knowledge. Keeping Gen Z in mind, Soin suggests having better conversations. “We need to make responsible travel cool. Carrying your own water bottle should be seen as cool. There should also be a sense of social embarrassment when someone is spoiling a destination.”Be it overtourism or responsible tourism, travel has always been about balancing government policy and industry action because both work in tandem. The third equally important pillar is the traveller at the end.And the only thing we can control is how to be a good traveller. So, maybe let's make that viral more than a destination. Because being irresponsible is not funny Arjun!- EndsPublished By: Jigyasa SahayPublished On: Aug 2, 2026 11:12 IST