This Greek island is Europe’s most overtouristed destination, according to new report

With the summer time vacation season across the nook, common vacationer locations are bracing for the customer inflow. 

Many hotspots at the moment are synonymous with overtourism, like Venice, Barcelona and Amsterdam. 

However a brand new report by Which? Journey suggests it’s additionally smaller locations in Europe which might be bearing the brunt of mass tourism. 

Zakynthos overwhelmed by 150 vacationers per resident

The brand new analysis analysed the affect of overtourism by three completely different metrics, based mostly on figures from the European Fee. 

In addition to complete in a single day stays, it appeared on the density of vacationers per sq. kilometre and the variety of vacationers per resident. 

The latter highlighted some locations that travellers may not remember are affected by the pressures of mass tourism. 

Zakynthos (Zante) topped the checklist with a whopping 150 to 1 ratio of tourists to residents. 

The Greek island is touted as a paradisiacal resort the place there are nonetheless loads of wild and undiscovered pockets. 

However the findings from Which? paint a distinct image – certainly one of a vacation spot going through rising housing prices, environmental harm and a pressure on native infrastructure throughout peak intervals.   

“It’s turning into tougher for residents to stay comfortably right here year-round,” a neighborhood resident from the island’s principal city instructed Greek information web site Neos Kosmos.

“Rents are up, site visitors is fixed in summer time, and companies are stretched skinny. We welcome tourism, however the quantity must be managed.”

The vacation spot that got here in second place for the variety of vacationers per resident can also be one which travellers may not instantly affiliate with overtourism. 

Istria in Croatia is straining beneath the strain of 133,467 guests per 1,000 locals, regardless of nonetheless typically being dubbed the nation’s ‘greatest saved secret’. 

Canary Islands obtain record-breaking customer numbers regardless of protests

The third most crowded vacation spot, nonetheless, is one that’s more and more vocal about its battle with overtourism. 

In Fuerteventura on the Canary Islands, guests outnumber residents by 120 to 1, in line with the examine. 

Regardless of dozens of resident protests towards mass tourism final summer time, the archipelago obtained greater than 1.55 million international guests in March 2025, a record-breaking determine and up 0.9 per cent in comparison with the identical month final yr.

The locations topping the rating for highest vacationer density are additionally unsurprising. Paris receives a staggering 418,280 guests per sq. kilometre, far outstripping Athens in second place with 88,535 and Copenhagen with 63,944. 

What are Europe’s least-visited locations?

The examine additionally highlights the locations least affected by mass tourism. These with the bottom ratio of in a single day stays per resident are Targovishte in Bulgaria at 332:1 and Rybnik in Poland at 351:1. 

Regardless of Italy’s standing as a vacationer magnet, the town of Benevento within the southern Campania area got here in third place with 398 vacationers per resident. 

As for the locations with the fewest guests per sq. kilometre, the highest spot was taken by Jan Mayen in Norway with zero vacationers. The island lies deep within the Arctic Circle and requires particular permission to go to. 

Teleorman in Romania with a 1.21 customer density and Svalbard in Norway at 2.4 got here in second and third place, respectively. 

“What this knowledge exhibits is that overtourism has overwhelmed a few of Europe’s hottest locations,” says Rory Boland, editor of Which? Journey. 

“With so many improbable locations in Europe, the reality is, you will have a much better vacation in a vacation spot the place there usually are not lots of and even hundreds extra vacationers than there are locals.”