Last year, the worst holiday destinations from overtourism have been revealed as the waves of anti-tourism demonstrations that held Europe in hold appears to continue. This Sunday, 18 million protesters will be taking them to Spanish streets with a new mobilization against the current tourism model.
All across the continent, as tourists at popular hotspots rise with very limited controls, residents share concerns about issues relating to overcrowding, affordability and environmental damage. So, what about the consumer's body? It analyzes European Commission tourism data to highlight destinations that you want to avoid holidays. The European Commission uses three measures to define overtourism – the number of tourists per resident known as “tourist pressure”, overnight stays, overnight stays per square kilometer. The stunning Greek island claims to be the top of the unfortunate position, with its residents rising significantly to the number of visitors descending.
A summer resort in the Ionian Sea, Greece Island Zakynthos has been chosen as Europe's worst destination. Research revealed. The island is most famous for its iconic Shipwreck Beach in Nabazio. This has become so iconic that it attracts thousands of tourists every year.
Zakynthos, also known as Zante, was called the “overtourism capital” in reference to the tourist ratio with locals.
According to the 2021 census, the island has over 41,000 people. However, in 2023, six million continued stays were recorded, with most staying at resorts on the south coast.
This works with 150 continuous stays per local residents.
Which one? Travel editor Rory Boland said, “Many places have reached a turning point. Negatives are becoming more important than they can't be ignored.”
“Zante doesn't have most visitors from an absolute point of view, but the amount of tourists is huge compared to the residents,” he said.
“The outcomes of this level of tourism vary, but roughly it means holidays spent at other tourist companies.
Croatia's stunning Istria came in second, with 133 overnight tourists staying per resident. The popular Balkans continue to promote Istria as a “hidden gem.” However, these figures suggest that the area is far from being discovered.
Fuerteventura, Canaria, came in third place. Paris had the highest number of tourists per square kilometre at 418,280, and Maysca recorded the most overnight stay. Over 51.1 million.
As a potential solution, the study revealed lesser known Eastern European destinations begging tourists, including parts of Romania and North Macedonia.
