The South Aegean and Ionian Islands in Greece have been named the most tourist-dense regions in Europe after official data showed visitor numbers far outstripped local resident populations.
Figures from the European Union statistical agency Eurostat, reported by The Independent, revealed that the two Greek island territories recorded the highest number of tourist overnight stays per capita across the continent in 2024.
The rankings focused specifically on small regions within EU member states, defined as administrative territories with populations ranging between 150,000 and 800,000 residents.
Widest gaps between tourists and residents
The South Aegean region recorded the widest gap between tourists and local residents of any area in the European Union. The region encompasses the Cyclades and Dodecanese archipelagos in the Aegean Sea, including popular holiday islands such as Santorini and Rhodes.
Data showed that visitors spent approximately 127 nights per local resident in the South Aegean during 2024. The territory registered 41.5 million overnight stays throughout the year, compared to a permanent population of between 326,000 and 328,000 people.
The Ionian Islands, an archipelago situated off the western coast of mainland Greece, ranked second for tourist density in Europe. Destinations in the region include the holiday islands of Corfu and Zakynthos.
Visitors spent 103 nights per local inhabitant across the Ionian Islands in 2024. The region logged more than 20.5 million overnight stays during the year against a resident population of around 200,000 people.
Top destinations affected by visitor density
Researchers identified several other holiday destinations across Southern and Central Europe as suffering from intense tourist concentration relative to their local populations. The ten most tourist-dense regions in the European Union were:
- South Aegean, Greece
- Ionian Islands, Greece
- South Tyrol, Italy
- Adriatic coast of Croatia
- Balearic Islands, Spain
- Crete, Greece
- Tyrol, Austria
- Algarve, Portugal
- Canary Islands, Spain
- Salzburg, Austria
These destinations include alpine regions such as South Tyrol in northern Italy and Tyrol and Salzburg in Austria, alongside popular coastal and island holiday hot spots such as Spain's Balearic and Canary Islands and Portugal's southern Algarve coast.
Rise of overtourism and shifting travel trends
Reporting on the figures, UNIAN Tourism noted that surging overtourism across major European destinations has prompted travelers to seek alternative vacation choices. These include a growing trend toward mini-tourism, although industry analysts note short-term trips carry their own drawbacks for local communities.
Excessive visitor numbers have also left local residents unable to access key landmarks in their own home cities. Data cited in the report highlighted that roughly one in four Londoners has never visited the London Eye, the famous giant observation wheel situated on the River Thames.
