These are the most tourist-dense places in Europe with visitors outnumbering locals

The areas in Europe where tourists significantly outnumber residents have been revealed by new analysis of European Union data.

Two regions in Greece recorded the highest number of tourist overnight stays per resident than anywhere else on the continent, according to the Eurostat data that lists nights spent at tourist accommodation establishments in 2024.

The data compiled in the list focuses on what the EU recognises as “small regions”, which are areas with a minimum population of 150,000, and a maximum of 800,000.

First analysed by Greek news organisation the Greek Reporter, the Eurostat data shows how many nights were spent by tourists in the region, expressed per resident who lives there.

The data shows that tourists visiting the Southern Aegean region, which consists of the Cyclades and Dodecanese islands, including popular Santorini and Rhodes, logged around 127 nights per resident.

The region recorded 41.5 million overnight stays in 2024 against a population of around 326-328,000 people, meaning the region had the widest gap between visitors and residents of anywhere in the EU.

The next most tourist-dense region was the Ionian Islands, comprising destinations such as Corfu and Zante, with 103 overnight tourist stays per resident, which works out to over 20.5 million nights versus a population of around 200,000 in 2024.

Greek islands are very popular with tourists seeking beachside stays due to their miles of white sandy beaches, Mediterranean cuisine and culture, and reliable warm weather.

The Bank of Greece recently revealed that the country received 15.4 per cent more tourists between January and June 2026 compared to the same period last year.

Moving away from Greece, the third most tourist-dense region compared to its residents was the Italian province of South Tyrol, with almost 69 nights spent there by tourists per resident.

Serving as a gateway to the Dolomite mountains, South Tyrol is popular with skiers and visitors to the city of Bolzano, which has both Italian and Austrian influences.

Also high on the list is the Adriatic coast of Croatia, with 67 nights spent by tourists per resident living along the country’s shoreline. Croatia’s coast is lined with beachside resort towns with access to its crystal-clear Adriatic waters, as well as home to the historic cities of Dubrovnik and Split.

In fifth place are the Balearic Islands, with almost 60 tourist nights spent in 2024 per resident. The Spanish archipelago has been a long-held favourite for holidaymakers seeking summer sun at sandy beaches in Mallorca, as well as attracting party people to the island of Ibiza.

However, with such a high concentration of tourists, the Balearics have become one of the most well-known regions to stage protests against overtourism. This summer, once again, saw thousands of residents demonstrating in the streets of Palma and Soller.

At the other end of the table, Mayotte, an overseas region of France in the Indian Ocean, received only half a night's stay from tourists per resident, recording 166,875 nights in total.

Most tourist-dense regions in the EU (number of overnight stays versus the population size)

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