A new report by Which? Travel has identified the Greek island of Zakynthos, also known as Zante, as the most tourist-crowded resort in Europe. The study found that overnight stays on the island outnumber residents by 150 to one, highlighting the intense pressure of overtourism on local communities.
The report also cites Mallorca as having the highest number of overnight stays, while Paris tops the tourist density index with 418,000 stays per square kilometre, vastly surpassing its nearest rival, Athens. Other destinations suffering from overtourism include Dubrovnik, Prague, and Barcelona, where the negative impacts of a booming tourist trade are increasingly outweighing the benefits.
Rory Boland, editor of Which? Travel, noted that some destinations feel a tipping point has been reached, with issues such as rising house prices, antisocial behaviour, and pressure on local services becoming more pronounced. However, Professor Richard Butler of the University of Strathclyde argues that for some places, the real problem is undesirable behaviour rather than sheer numbers.
The report suggests that tourists seeking to avoid crowds should consider lesser-visited destinations in eastern Europe, such as Rybnik in Poland, Severoistočen in North Macedonia, and parts of Romania. The least visited option in Europe is the Norwegian island of Jan Mayen, which receives zero visitors due to its remote Arctic location and strict access requirements.
