According to a recent report on overtourism by the British non-profit consumer protection organization Which?, as presented in The Guardian, Zakynthos is facing the highest tourism pressure in Europe as a destination, based on the ratio of tourists to permanent residents. Specifically, the Ionian island receives 149,887 visitors per 1,000 residents (approximately 150 to 1), placing it at the top of the list, followed by Istria in Croatia and Fuerteventura in the Canary Islands.

The report includes a wealth of data and statistics, all pointing to Which? contributor Rory Boland’s conclusion: “Overtourism has overwhelmed some of Europe’s most popular destinations. It’s clear that some feel a tipping point has been reached. The negative side of a booming tourist trade – whether that’s increasing house prices, antisocial behaviour or pressure on local services – is outweighing the benefits.”

A telling example is Roccaraso, a small mountain town in southern Italy with a population of 1,500. In January, it suddenly buckled under the onslaught of visitors. It all began when a popular Neapolitan TikToker livestreamed from the town, leading travel agencies to quickly start advertising one-day trips to the destination at very low prices. On a single day, 260 buses arrived in Roccaraso, unloading a total of 10,000 tourists. The locals were outraged, and the mayor took immediate action to limit further arrivals.

The report also mentions Athens, which ranks second only to Paris on the list of cities with the highest number of tourists per square kilometer. Paris receives 418,280 tourists per square kilometer, while Athens receives 88,535, followed by Copenhagen with 63,944.