Zakynthos: Where 150 tourists meet a local!

Zakynthos: Where 150 tourists meet a local!

Zakynthos, Griechenland - Zakynthos, the picturesque Greek island, is the focus of the discussion about overtourism in Europe. According to an examination of the British portal "What?" Is Zakynthos the most overcrowded travel destination on the continent. With around 150 nights per inhabitant it becomes clear how much tourism affects the life of the locals. The island, which only has around 40,000 inhabitants, experiences an influx of around 6 million vacationers annually. This puts the entire local infrastructure and the quality of life of the residents.

The pressure created by the massive increase to tourists is obvious. Locals report rising rents and a constant volume of traffic during the high season. The massive number of tourists leads to overload in the services and strongly shapes social life on site. A taxi driver in Zakynthos has complained about the behavior of British party tourists who cause noise pollution until early in the morning and thus disturb the sleep of the locals.

tourism and its consequences

The prevailing complaints about tourism are not only limited to noise and traffic. The locals complain that local shops and cultural offers are increasingly geared towards the needs of tourists, causing the authenticity of the island. The inequality between the number of visitors and the local population raises questions about sustainability. At the same time, the worries about the environment and the quality of life in these overcrowded destinations. Almost 150 tourists come up with every inhabitant, which entails enormous problems in relation to the affordability for locals and the already tense living conditions.

The study by "which? Travel" has also examined two more indicators: the density of tourists per square kilometer and the total number of overnight stays. In this context, Istria in Croatia with 133.5 tourists per inhabitant takes second place, while Fuerteventura follows 118.7 on the Canary Islands. These figures underline that the problem of overtourism not only affects Zakynthos, but also affects other European travel destinations.

A look at other European cities

Not only islands experience the pressure through mass tourism. There are also alarming numbers in cities such as Paris, Athens and Copenhagen. Paris has a tourist density of 418,280 tourists per square kilometer, followed by Athens with 88,535 and Copenhagen with 63,944. These values ​​illustrate the challenges associated with a non -sustainable tourism policy.

For many regions in Europe, the pressing question arises: How many tourists are too many? In view of the increasing numbers and the associated problems, it is time to develop a smarter tourism policy that takes into account both the needs of travelers and those of the locals. Overtourism remains an urgent topic that cannot be ignored, especially on an island as visited as Zakynthos.

Overall, it remains to be seen which measures are taken to create the balance between tourism and quality of life on this idyllic Greek island and in other crowded destinations. As the reports of Schwäbische and Neos Kosmos is the challenge, but the conversations about solutions must begin.