15 Haziran 2025 Pazar

AŞIRI TURİZM GÜNDEMDE: AVRUPA'DA TATİL HARİTASI YENİDEN ŞEKİLLENİYOR

A new report published by Which? Travel reveals that Zakynthos, Greece, has the most overnight stays per capita in Europe. Popular centers such as Paris, Mallorca and Dubrovnik are also facing pressure from overtourism.

Overtourism Warning in Europe: Zakynthos, Mallorca and Paris on the Edge

The effect of "overtourism" is back on the agenda in Europe's leading travel destinations. According to the latest report published by Which? Travel, the Greek island of Zakynthos (Zante) has become the European destination with the most overnight stays compared to its population. The ratio of tourist overnight stays to the local population on the island reached 150:1.

This rate makes Zakynthos the busiest tourist center in Europe, followed by the Istria region of Croatia (133,467 tourists/1000 people) and Fuerteventura in the Canary Islands (118,720 tourists/1000 people) in the ranking. On the other hand, Paris stands out as the city with the highest tourist density, with 418,280 overnight stays per square meter.

Tourism Debate in the Shadow of Overcrowding

The report addresses not only the increase in the number of visitors, but also the associated social and economic pressures. Which? Travel Editor Rory Boland said, "Rising house prices, the burden on infrastructure and antisocial behavior in some areas have begun to outweigh the benefits of tourism."

Prof. Richard Butler from the University of Strathclyde states that overtourism is directly related not only to crowds, but also to tourist behavior. He stated that destinations, especially experienced tourism cities such as Las Vegas, Orlando or Blackpool, experience fewer complaints of this kind because they grew with tourism.

Hidden Alternatives Come to the Fore

The report also points to alternative routes for travelers who want to stay away from busy destinations. Regions such as Rybnik in Poland, Severoistočen in North Macedonia and Teleorman in Romania are among the least visited places in Europe. The island of Jan Mayen, which remains within the Arctic Circle in Norway, stands out as the only region with no tourist overnight stays.

Mircea Crisbășanu, a Romanian bicycle tour organizer, draws attention to the experiences offered by alternative destinations, saying, “Silence prevails in southern Romania. There is a friendly atmosphere in the villages where traditional architecture is preserved.”