Looking for a restroom? Don’t expect to find one in many tourist hotspots

Nothing may be worse than needing a restroom while traveling only to struggle to find one.

Telling oneself to “hold it” usually doesn’t improve the situation.

A new analysis by Nationwide Waste Service, a portable sanitary solutions provider, found that despite welcoming millions of visitors annually, many iconic tourist hotspots in the United States struggle to meet a basic need — providing public restroom access.

According to the analysis, New York City leads domestic tourist destinations regarding public restroom availability, with 152 public restrooms and a ratio of 1.3 restrooms per 100,000 visitors. Despite this leadership, even NYC’s ratio falls short of meeting the demands of its 62.2 million annual visitors.

Other tourist hotspots, like San Francisco, Orlando and Las Vegas, face significant restroom shortages. Baghdad by the Bay offers 1 restroom per 100,000 visitors, while O-Town and Sin City perform even worse, with 0.1 public restrooms per 100,000 visitors.

A lack of acceptable facilities isn’t just annoying to travelers. Experts warn that a shortage of public restrooms could significantly undermine the overall tourist experience.

“Imagine visiting a city and spending half your time just looking for a restroom,” Dr. Steven Soifer, co-founder and treasurer of the American Restroom Association and adjunct professor at Adelphi University School of Social Work, said in a release. “That’s the reality for many tourists in the U.S.

“The lack of public restrooms isn’t just an oversight—it’s a crisis that affects mobility, public health, and the overall visitor experience,” Soifer added. “In a country that prides itself on tourism, this shouldn’t be the norm. If cities want to be truly welcoming, they need to invest in basic infrastructure like public restrooms.”