Greece holds a prominent place in the list of European islands that are… drowning in tourists, according to a survey by alternative tourism platform BookRetreats, while four Greek islands appear among those that have managed to keep away from the large crowds of visitors.
Protests are now spreading across Europe’s island regions as residents call for tighter controls on tourism and stronger protection for local communities. In response, leading accommodation booking website BookRetreats.com has looked at the data to identify where the pressure is most intense and which islands are a model for a more sustainable path.
“Tourism has transformed many of Europe’s islands, but the pace and scale is no longer sustainable,” says Sean Kelly, co-founder of BookRetreats.com. “When local systems are overburdened and communities are being pushed out, it’s a sign that something needs to change. That’s why it’s so important to look at the data, understand where the pressure is greatest, and start choosing destinations that can really benefit from our presence.”
BookRetreats analysed the most recent data from the European Commission (2023), focusing on overnight stays in tourist accommodation per square kilometre, which is a key measure of tourism concentration in a destination.
The ranking of the 15 European islands with the highest visitor density shows that the island with the highest visitor density is Corfu. The island of Fayaka occupies the 6th place in the ranking and records 15,811 overnight stays in tourist accommodation per square kilometre (km²).
Zakynthos follows in 7th place, with 14,570 overnight stays per square kilometre.
The Dodecanese (Kalymnos, Karpathos, Kasos, Kos and Rhodes) are ranked 10th, with 9,276 overnight stays per square metre. The Cyclades (Andros, Santorini, Kea, Milos, Mykonos, Naxos, Paros, Syros and Tinos) are in 13th place with 5,079 overnight stays per km2 and Lefkada is in 15th place with 4,396 overnight stays per km2.
The leader of the islands with the most tourist nights is Spain. In particular, the top five European islands with the highest concentration of tourists are Malta (38,777 overnight stays per square kilometre), Lanzarote (21,673), Ibiza and Formentera (17,183), Tenerife (16,873) and Gran Canaria (16,709).
At the same time, Chios, Evia and the islands of the North Aegean (Lesvos, Lemnos) are among the 10 European islands with the lowest density of visitors.
In particular, Chios, in 4th place in the ranking, recorded 353.81 overnight stays per square kilometre, Evia (5th place) 419.61 overnight stays per square kilometre and the islands of the North Aegean (6th place) 516.43 overnight stays per square kilometre.
