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

With nan summertime vacation play astir nan corner, celebrated tourer destinations are bracing for nan visitant influx. 

Many hotspots are now synonymous pinch overtourism, for illustration Venice, Barcelona and Amsterdam. 

But a caller study by Which? Travel suggests it’s besides smaller destinations successful Europe that are base nan brunt of wide tourism. 

Zakynthos overwhelmed by 150 visitors per resident

The caller investigation analysed nan effect of overtourism done 3 different metrics, based connected figures from nan European Commission. 

As good arsenic full overnight stays, it looked astatine nan density of visitors per quadrate kilometre and nan number of visitors per resident. 

The second highlighted immoderate destinations that travellers mightiness not beryllium alert are suffering from nan pressures of mass tourism. 

Zakynthos (Zante) topped nan database pinch a whopping 150 to 1 ratio of visitors to residents. 

The Greek land is touted arsenic a paradisiacal edifice wherever location are still plentifulness of chaotic and undiscovered pockets. 

But nan findings from Which? overgarment a different image - 1 of a destination facing rising lodging costs, biology harm and a strain connected section infrastructure during highest periods.   

“It’s becoming harder for residents to unrecorded comfortably present year-round,” a section resident from nan island’s main municipality told Greek news tract Neos Kosmos.

“Rents are up, postulation is changeless successful summer, and services are stretched thin. We invited tourism, but nan measurement has to beryllium managed.”

The destination that came successful 2nd spot for nan number of visitors per resident is besides 1 that travellers mightiness not instantly subordinate pinch overtourism. 

Istria successful Croatia is straining nether nan unit of 133,467 visitors per 1,000 locals, contempt still often being dubbed nan country’s ‘best kept secret’. 

Canary Islands person record-breaking visitant numbers contempt protests

The 3rd astir crowded destination, however, is 1 that is progressively vocal astir its struggle pinch overtourism. 

In Fuerteventura connected nan Canary Islands, visitors outnumber residents by 120 to 1, according to nan study. 

Despite dozens of resident protests against wide tourism past summer, nan archipelago received much than 1.55 cardinal overseas visitors successful March 2025, a record-breaking fig and up 0.9 per cent compared to nan aforesaid period past year.

The destinations topping nan ranking for highest tourer density are besides unsurprising. Paris receives a staggering 418,280 visitors per quadrate kilometre, acold outstripping Athens successful 2nd spot pinch 88,535 and Copenhagen pinch 63,944. 

What are Europe’s least-visited destinations?

The study besides highlights nan destinations least affected by wide tourism. Those pinch nan lowest ratio of overnight stays per resident are Targovishte successful Bulgaria astatine 332:1 and Rybnik successful Poland astatine 351:1. 

Despite Italy’s position arsenic a tourer magnet, nan metropolis of Benevento successful nan confederate Campania region came successful 3rd spot pinch 398 visitors per resident. 

As for nan destinations pinch nan fewest visitors per quadrate kilometre, nan apical spot was taken by Jan Mayen successful Norway pinch zero tourists. The land lies heavy successful nan Arctic Circle and requires typical support to visit. 

Teleorman successful Romania pinch a 1.21 visitant density and Svalbard successful Norway astatine 2.4 came successful 2nd and 3rd place, respectively. 

“What this information shows is that overtourism has overwhelmed immoderate of Europe's astir celebrated destinations,” says Rory Boland, editor of Which? Travel. 

“With truthful galore awesome places successful Europe, nan truth is, you are going to person a acold amended vacation successful a destination wherever location are not hundreds aliases moreover thousands much visitors than location are locals.”