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Tourism chaos: crowded beaches and record overnight stays in Europe!
Current 2025 tourism trends show crowded European beaches and the most popular destinations in Greece, Spain and Germany.
Tourism chaos: crowded beaches and record overnight stays in Europe!
Mass tourism in Europe is becoming increasingly evident in highly frequented holiday destinations. A current report from the Federal Statistical Office, based on Eurostat figures, highlights the serious differences in tourism intensity within Europe. In the South Aegean in particular, the relationship between locals and tourists is particularly unbalanced. In 2023, an impressive 117 tourist overnight stays per resident were recorded there daily news reported.
The Ionian Islands, which also includes Corfu, follow with 98 overnight stays per resident. Other regions also show high values: South Tyrol achieves around 68 overnight stays per inhabitant, while the Croatian Adriatic coast achieves 67 and the Balearic Islands 57 overnight stays. The latter are also facing protests in Mallorca that were triggered by high rents. In contrast, there are some regions in Poland and Romania that only have low tourist numbers.
Top travel destinations in Europe
In Germany, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania has the highest tourism intensity with 18 overnight stays per resident, making it 17th in the entire EU. Upper Bavaria, especially Munich, is the most visited German travel destination with 41.6 million overnight stays. The Canary Islands, on the other hand, take the top spot as the most popular holiday destination in Europe, with 95.6 million overnight stays in 2023 alone. On average, 262,000 overnight stays are registered there per day Press portal notes.
- Kanarische Inseln: 95,6 Millionen Übernachtungen
- Kroatische Adriaküste: 87,3 Millionen
- Katalonien: 85,6 Millionen
- Île-de-France: 85,2 Millionen
- Andalusien: 73,9 Millionen
The average overnight stay rate in the Canary Islands is 43 overnight stays per capita, which puts it in 10th place in terms of tourism intensity. In terms of the economic impact of tourism, it is significant for the hospitality industry in Greece, accounting for 7.1% of gross value added. In Spain this proportion is 6.7% and in Croatia it is 6.4%. Germany, on the other hand, has the lowest proportion in the EU at just 1.5%.
The data includes overnight stays in various types of accommodation such as hotels, inns, holiday accommodation and campsites, but does not include private accommodation or rehabilitation clinics. Such statistics highlight the economic and social challenges associated with mass tourism, especially in popular holiday regions.