Many destinations are becoming victims of their own success -- leading to one of the most talked about topics in the travel industry: Overtourism. Tourism is soaring in New York City. It's the top destination for international travelers - a dramatic turnaround from the past, when tourists worried about safety. Karina Huber has more on whether its renewed popularity, is also its biggest threat.

The film Taxi Driver starring Robert DeNiro captures what New York was like in the 1970's - dangerous and on the verge of bankruptcy. It was hardly a magnet for hordes of tourists. Decades later New York is now the U.S.'s number one destination for international tourists and number two among domestic travelers.

CHRISTOPHER HEYWOOD, SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT GLOBAL COMMUNICATIONS AT NYC & COMPANY "Last year we welcomed 63 million visitors. It generates about 65 billion dollars in total economic impact. It generates more than 369 thousand jobs every year. It is definitely an economic engine for New York City."

What turned things around was a drop in crime, the revitalization of Times Square into a more family friendly destination and the success of shows like Sex and The City, which featured New York prominently.

Tourism was hit after the terrorist attacks on 9/11 and suffered another blow after the global financial crisis but since 2009 the number of visitors to New York has been on an upward trajectory. Not everyone is happy. Some residents have complained about the influx.

"There is a volume of people and one really feels it especially over the last two or three years."

"The massive increase in tourists over the past ten years has exacerbated a long time problem in the city, which is affordable rent."

Tourists often stay in Airbnbs, which critics say is taking homes off the market for residents and pushing rents higher.

KARINA HUBER NEW YORK "Some are questioning whether New York will become a victim of its own success and suffer the same fate as Barcelona, Reykjavik and Dubrovnik - all cities that are experiencing overtourism and where residents are pushing back."

Heywood says the city takes overtourism seriously but says New York is very different from other European cities grappling with too many visitors.

CHRISTOPHER HEYWOOD, SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT GLOBAL COMMUNICATIONS AT NYC & COMPANY "They're very small city centers that may be overrun with visitors and they're just not designed to accommodate that. New York City is. We have 116 thousand hotel rooms with another 20,000 on the way."

Nevertheless, it is a concern. To mitigate any future problems, the city is encouraging visitors to come in the off season through various promotions. It is also marketing other less frequented areas like Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx and Staten Island to relieve some of the congestion in Manhattan. Whether this will be enough to shield New York from a problem plaguing other hot destinations, remains to be seen. What we can say for sure is that New Yorkers, not known for being shy, will be the first to let us know. Karina Huber, CGTN, New York.