Zakynthos in Greece has nearly 150,000 tourists to every 1,000 residents, according to Which? Travel. — Pexels
A new study highlights the destinations in Europe that are particularly subject to pressure from high levels of tourism, taking into account both the surface area of the sites and the number of residents.
The study, reported by The Guardian, sheds some light on the European destinations facing overwhelming levels of tourism.
Indeed, Which? Travel’s analysis cites the destinations that are highly prized by vacationers, but also facing great pressure from their growing numbers. Above all, this study does not limit itself to a single metric, as is often the case.
In fact, tourist pressure can be gauged by calculating the number of tourists in relation to the number of local residents, but also by looking at the surface area of the locations.
In this way, the number of travellers per square kilometre can be determined. And that’s not all. Which? Travel also draws on the number of overnight stays recorded by local authorities.
As a result, the report names popular seaside resorts, such as Zakynthos (or Zante) in Greece – the most crowded destination with almost 150,000 tourists per 1,000 residents – as well as major cities such as Paris, which has the highest number of tourists per square kilometre at 418,280.
In terms of overnight stays, the island of Majorca in the Balearic Islands (Spain) tops the list, with almost 51.2 million overnight stays.
Paris is again mentioned in this category, with 43.9 million overnight stays. – AFP Relaxnews
There are nearly 420,000 tourists per square kilometres in Paris. — AFP
Which? Travel’s busiest and quietest travel spots:
Highest tourist pressure (tourists per 1,000 residents)
Zakynthos, Greece: 149,887
Istria county, Croatia: 133,467
Fuerteventura, Canary Islands: 118,720
Lowest tourist pressure (tourists per 1,000 residents)
Targovishte, Bulgaria: 332
Rybnik, Poland: 351
Benevento, Italy: 398
Highest number of tourists per sq km
Paris: 418,280
Central Athens: 88,535
Copenhagen: 63,944
Lowest number of tourists per sq km
Jan Mayen, Norway: 0
Teleorman, Romania: 1.21
Svalbard, Norway: 2.4
Most overnight stays
Mallorca: 51,193,029
Paris: 43,919,010
Rome: 41,135,744
Least overnight stays
Jan Mayen: 0
Teleorman: 6,983
Zasavska, Slovenia: 22,990
