Greece is among countries facing a backlash because of the scale of the tourist influx, with anger about lack of affordable housing for locals among other issues
The Greek island of Zante is the European destination worst affected by overtourism, research suggests.
The holiday hotspot – also known as Zakynthos – only has around 40,000 residents and is just a bit bigger than the Isle of Wight. Yet it had a staggering six million overnight stays in 2023, according to analysis by consumer group Which?, with most tourists flocking to the island’s sprawling and often raucous resorts along the south coast.
Greece is among countries facing a backlash because of the scale of the tourist influx, with anger about lack of affordable housing for locals and other issues. Among the reasons visitors descend in huge numbers to Zante is its beaches. Navagio is famed for its shipwreck which regularly pops up on people’s Instagram and other social media posts.
Other overcrowded tourist hotspots identified in the research included the Spanish islands of Fuerteventura and Lanzarote, also hugely popular with British families.
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The findings came amid the threat of more protests this summer against mass tourism. Locals have displayed banners declaring “tourists go home”, leading to concerns among industry chiefs that families will stay over or cancel bookings. While tourism is a vital source of revenues for many of those on the list, critics say it has led to rocketing rental costs for residents.
For those wanting to avoid the risk of demonstrations, or bumping into other Brits, Which? also considered other alternatives. They include Teleorman in Romania, listed as the least visited place in Europe. The area – bounded on the south by Bulgaria – is described as having a unique blend of natural beauty and cultural heritage, yet recorded just 20 overnight stays per 1,000 residents in 2023. For those keen on Greece, Which? suggest Dytikos Tomeas Athinon, or the western sector Athens, which had just over 63 overnight stays per 1,000 residents.
Which? based its research on the European Commission’s definition of overtourism. That included the number of tourists per resident, known as “tourism pressure” and calculates how many nights tourists spend in a region compared with the number of residents.
A second measure is most overnight stays overall. On this basis, Mallorca was the most visited place in Europe by holidaymakers, with over 51 million overnight stays in 2023. This on an island with a population is just under million. Mallorca is the among the protest flashpoints, with a growing calls for tourists to stay away. Last year saw 10,000 people take part in an anti-tourist protest in Palma. Some say the island’s popularity used to be a source of pride but is now its “biggest problem.”
Rory Boland, editor of Which? Travel said: “What this data shows is that overtourism has overwhelmed some of Europe’s most popular destinations. With so many fantastic places in Europe, the truth is, you are going to have a far better holiday in a destination where there are not hundreds or even thousands more tourists than there are locals. Try Estonia for stunning coastlines and, yes, warm weather, during summer. Or if you want to stick with Spain, Murcia is a great option.”
Tourists per 1,000 residents
Ten of the highest:
1. Zakynthos (149,886)
2. Istarska Zupanija (Istria in Croatia) (133,466)
3. Fuerteventura (118,720)
4. Lanzarote (117,785)
5. Dodecanese Islands in Greece (113,790)
6. Tiroler Oberland region of Austria (112,716)
7. Pinzgau-Pongau region of Austria (109,009)
8. Cyclade group of Greek islands – includes Mykonos and Paros (104,152)
9. Kerkyra, Corfu (100,079)
10. Außerfern, Austria (97,299)
Ten of the lowest:
1. Benevento, Italy (398.2)
2. Rybnicki, Poland (351.1)
3. Targovishte, Bulgaria (332.2)
4. Soignies, Belgium (284.1)
5. Podunavska area of Serbia (277.8)
6. Severoistočen, North Macedonia (177.8)
7. Olt, South West Romania (148.3)
8. Călăraşi, South East Romania (123.9)
9. Dytikos Tomeas Athinon, region near Athens (64.1)
10. Teleorman, Romania (21.5)