A new study has revealed the popular tourist destination that’s the most overcrowded in Europe.
To find the answer, the European Commission created a ‘tourism pressure’ score by comparing the amount of nights tourists spend in a region with the number of people living there.
Which? Travel dived into the figures to find out which European hotspot is best avoided if you don’t enjoy fighting crowds on holiday.
It found that Zakynthos is officially the most overcrowded holiday destination in Europe, according to ‘tourism pressure’ figures.
The Greek island, often known as Zante, has just 40,000 residents but tourists stayed for a whopping six million overnight stays in 2023.
This means that tourists outnumbered residents by nearly 150 to one during peak summer season.
Zante is the third-largest of Greece’s Ionian islands and one of the country’s most popular destinations.
It has a reputation for nightlife and is a leading destination for European party holidays.
Zakynthos is officially the most overcrowded holiday destination in Europe, according to ‘tourism pressure’ figures
The Greek island, often known as Zante, has just 40,000 residents but tourists stayed for a whopping six million overnight stays in 2023
The island’s biggest resort areas include Laganas (pictured above), Kalamaki, Tsilivi, Argassi and Alkinas
Which? explains that the majority of Zante’s tourists tend to stay at the ‘sprawling, raucous resorts’ on the island’s south coast.
The island’s biggest resort areas include Laganas, Kalamaki, Tsilivi, Argassi and Alkinas.
Responsible Travel, a travel company focused on ethical tourism, adds that Zante is ‘struggling [to cope] with millions of visitors’ each year.
It claims: ‘Ferries overflow with people and luggage in high season, along with roads, ports, airports, while waste disposal facilities and electricity grids struggle to cope with the surge in numbers.’
But Zakynthos isn’t the only European holiday destination to face issues with overtourism.
According to Which?, Majorca also has a ‘problem’ with overtourism. The Balearic island has an average of 54 overnight stays to every resident.
The Spanish hotspot has introduced a tourist tax to try to deter tourist numbers but Which? recommends avoiding the island altogether in the busiest months of July and August.
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