Greek island named 'capital of overtourism' with millions of people visiting every year

In the past few years, booking a holiday has become slightly more complicated when taking into consideration the growing issue of and the number of problems this poses to residents and visitors alike. Destinations loved by Brits are increasingly struggling to deal with swathes of visiting during peak holiday season, which is just around the corner.

Holiday rentals and hotels driving up the price of houses for locals, traffic jams and crowded streets, Venice has even introduced a to visit the floating city for those simply stopping for the day in an effort to curb overtourism. It's not just day-to-day life where the effects of overtourism are felt, the environment is also struggling with the number of visitors, and

While booking a trip away used to simply be a matter of picking a destination, choosing your hotel, and maybe planning your budget if you wanted to be savvy, many of us will now be thinking of ways to avoid adding to the problem of overtourism in some of Europe's hotspots.

Thinking outside of the box when it comes to travelling is one way to relieve some pressure on destinations hit with masses of tourists, avoiding more popular destinations, and one European island that you might want to avoid has just been named the 'capital of overtourism'

Known for its lively nightlife and clubs, this Greek island located in the Ionian sea is also home to stunning white-sand beaches and turquoise waters that make it a popular destination for those looking for a sunny getaway.

New research from has revealed that Zante is Europe's 'capital of overtourism' with a staggering six million overnight stays recorded in 2023.

The research used data from the European Commission (EC) tourism numbers, which measures where overtourism is most prevalent by looking at the number of tourists per resident and the number of nights stayed.

Which? shared that despite only 40,000 people actually living there, Zante had six million overnight stays in 2023, which equates to 150 overnight stays for every person who lives there, creating what the EC describes as tourism pressure.

Although Zante doesn't receive as many visitors as Malaga, who received 85 million foreign visitors in 2023, it has the most tourists compared to the amount of people that actually live on the island.

In comparison, Teleorman in Romania had the lowest amount of overnight stays, so it might be time to start switching up the beach and parasols for ceramics and rolling hills.