Europe’s hotspots and hidden gems, by the numbers

This year, in many popular destinations, the themes of overtourism and mass tourism have once again hit the headlines. Anti-tourist protests continue in Mallorca and Barcelona, ​​and Dubrovnik, on Croatia’s Adriatic coast, is packed every summer. More and more Alpine regions are also sounding the alarm.

To explore this question further, the NZZ analyzed figures from Eurostat, the EU statistics authority, which indicate which regions were the most touristy in 2023. In some cases where the data was not yet available, we looked at 2022. Counting the In absolute number of overnight stays in hotels, holiday homes, campsites and similar places, the Antalya region of Turkey is clearly in the lead, with more than 100 million overnight stays. But the Adriatic coast, Catalonia and the Paris metropolitan area are also among the top regions, each with 80 to 90 million stays. With around 38 million stays, the Austrian region of Tyrol is in the upper average of the group.

However, when these absolute numbers are assessed against the population size of certain regions, a different picture emerges. With this measure, the Ionian Islands and the southern Aegean region of Greece are taking the lead. The latter even crossed the hundred mark, with more than 117 nights per capita in 2023. Croatia’s Adriatic coast remains in the top four both in absolute terms and in number of stays per capita.

Tyrol also remains a popular holiday region per capita. However, it is outstripped by South Tyrol in Italy (also known as the autonomous province of Bolzano), which recorded more than 67 overnight stays per capita, compared to just under 50 in Tyrol, Austria.

Germans are attracted to the Baltic Sea

If we examine the distinction between domestic and foreign tourists, we see that domestic tourism is a particularly important factor in France, Spain and Germany. In addition to the Alps and the Côte d’Azur, French tourists visit their own capital particularly frequently. For Spanish tourists staying in their own country, Catalonia and Andalusia are the preferred regions.

Among German tourists, the Upper Bavarian Alps, the metropolis of Munich and the Baltic Sea coast are particularly popular. For those heading to the sea, the states of Schleswig-Holstein and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania take the top spots. However, it should be kept in mind that these three countries all have large overall populations. Comparisons between individual countries can therefore only be made to a limited extent.

International tourists love the Mediterranean

If the nights of domestic tourists are distributed relatively equitably, international tourism is much more asymmetrical. A few key destinations clearly dominate here. In this regard, seaside regions are particularly popular, because Europeans always like to spend their long summer holidays warm and on the beach.

From Antalya, to the Greek islands and the Adriatic coast of Croatia, via Catalonia, the Balearic Islands and Andalusia, the leaders all have sun and sea in common. Among mountain destinations, only the Austrian region of Tyrol can compete in terms of the absolute number of overnight stays by foreign tourists. Venice, Paris and Amsterdam are also magnets for visitors, mainly attracting tourists who love classic cities.

The Swiss love to spend their holidays in Ticino

The number of foreign tourist nights per capita is the best indicator of what many consider one of the most visible effects of tourism: almost no locals but lots of foreigners. The Mediterranean islands are particularly prone to this situation. In the southern Aegean islands, there are 108 overnight stays from foreign tourists for every inhabitant of the island each year. In the Balearic Islands this figure rises to 51, in Tyrol it is 45 and in the Italian province of South Tyrol it amounts to almost 48 overnight stays per mountain inhabitant.

The rate of domestic tourists per capita is particularly high in sparsely populated regions. In Italy, these regions include South Tyrol and Trento, while the island of Corsica is eligible in France. In Switzerland, Ticino is also well ahead of its competitors, with just under 10 domestic tourist nights per inhabitant.

However, many regions are well equipped to deal with masses of tourists. Especially in densely populated regions, infrastructure also used by the local population is already in place. An examination of the number of domestic and foreign tourists per capita shows that in many regions of Spain and Italy, popular holiday regions are also population centers. The effects of overtourism are thus mitigated to a certain extent.

Few Greeks spend their holidays in Crete

Tourists who want to spend their vacation abroad alongside not only other tourists from far and wide, but also people who relax in their own country and know their way around, may want to choose one of the regions of green color as next destination. destination. These are places where the majority of vacationers travel within their own country. Additionally, none of these areas are major mass tourism destinations. Visitors will even be able to discover some insider tips.

Conversely, the regions in purple are not necessarily subject to diversified international flows. The high number of foreign tourists may be due to visitors coming from just a few countries, or even just one country. Furthermore, even within the same region, significant local differences can appear. Anyone who has visited Majorca for the Ballermann – a particularly German form of drinking party – or gone for après-ski drinks in the Alps will be able to confirm this.

Numerous measures have been put in place to combat mass tourism and overtourism, as well as their negative consequences. In Mallorca, the Balearic government has banned the consumption of alcohol in public roads. In Venice, the government began imposing entrance fees to the city. Barcelona cracks down on the use of apartments for vacation rentals.

Since tourism is multifaceted, with both positive and negative consequences, there will likely never be a single solution. Any possible restrictions should always be carefully considered, as tourism remains an important source of income while causing distressing disruption for residents.

Where did you spend your vacation this year? Use the search function below to see if your impression of the number of tourists in your holiday region matches the statistical values ​​in the table.

Additional contributor: Joana Kelén

Latest articles

Global reporting. Swiss quality journalism.

In an increasingly polarized media market, the NZZ, based in Switzerland, offers a critical and factual outside perspective. We are not in the news business. We provide thoughtful, well-researched stories and analysis that go beyond the headlines to explain relevant events in the United States, Europe and around the world. To carry out this work, the NZZ maintains a world-leading network of expert journalists, who work closely with our main editorial office in Zurich.

Subscribe to our free newsletter or follow us on TwitterFacebook or WhatsApp.