As European cities brace for a busy summer, new data highlights lesser-known destinations under intense pressure from mass tourism.
As summer approaches, tourist hotspots across Europe are preparing for a surge in visitor numbers. While destinations like Venice, Barcelona, and Amsterdam are well known for their struggles with overtourism, a new report from Which? Travel suggests that smaller, lesser-known locations are facing equally severe challenges.
The report, based on data from the European Commission, assessed overtourism through three key metrics: total overnight stays, tourist density per square kilometre, and the number of tourists per resident.
Topping the list is the Greek island of Zakynthos, also known as Zante, with an astonishing 150 tourists for every local resident. Though long marketed as a tranquil island paradise with untouched natural beauty, the reality is increasingly stark.
According to Which?, Zakynthos is grappling with rising housing costs, environmental degradation, and overstretched infrastructure—particularly during peak tourist months.
“It’s becoming harder for residents to live comfortably here year-round,” a local resident from the island’s main town told Greek news outlet Neos Kosmos. “Rents are up, traffic is constant in summer, and services are stretched thin. We welcome tourism, but the volume has to be managed.”
Coming in second is Croatia’s Istria region, which hosts approximately 133,467 visitors per 1,000 residents. Often referred to as the country’s “best-kept secret,” Istria is now showing signs of stress under the weight of growing tourist numbers.
The Canary Island of Fuerteventura ranks third, with a 120:1 visitor-to-resident ratio. Despite growing protests from residents last summer, the island continues to break tourism records. In March 2025 alone, the archipelago welcomed more than 1.55 million foreign visitors—a 0.9% increase compared to the same month in 2024.
The study also identified the most crowded cities by tourist density. Paris leads with an astonishing 418,280 visitors per square kilometre. Athens follows in second place with 88,535 visitors, and Copenhagen ranks third with 63,944.
Not all of Europe is buckling under tourist pressure. The report also highlights destinations with relatively low tourism impact.
Targovishte in Bulgaria boasts the lowest number of overnight stays per resident at 332:1, followed by Rybnik in Poland with 351:1. Even in tourism-heavy Italy, the city of Benevento in the Campania region ranks as a low-impact destination with 398 tourists per resident.
In terms of tourist density, Jan Mayen—a remote island in Norway located deep within the Arctic Circle—recorded zero tourists. Access to the island is strictly controlled and requires special permission.
Rounding out the list are Romania’s Teleorman region with a density of 1.21 visitors per square kilometre and Norway’s Svalbard with 2.4.
“What this data shows is that overtourism has overwhelmed some of Europe’s most popular destinations,” said Rory Boland, editor of Which? Travel.
“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.”
As summer travel ramps up, the report serves as a timely reminder to explore alternative destinations that offer not only cultural richness and natural beauty—but also breathing room.
