Overview

• Zakynthos, with a population of 40,000, recorded six million overnight tourist stays in 2023, the highest tourism pressure in Europe.
• The European Commission's tourism pressure metric highlights overtourism by comparing tourist stays to local population size.
• Other high-pressure destinations include Istria, Fuerteventura, Lanzarote, and the Dodecanese Islands, according to Which? Travel's rankings.
• Local protests in hotspots like Zakynthos and Mallorca point to rising frustration over housing costs, infrastructure strain, and environmental impacts.
• Travel experts recommend lesser-visited alternatives such as Romania's Teleorman region and parts of Estonia to avoid overcrowded locations.