WIESBADEN (dpa-AFX) – Tourists bring not only money, but also problems. This is highlighted by the Federal Statistical Office in its release of the most popular travel destinations in Europe. According to the data, in 2023, the Greek islands of the southern Aegean – such as Santorini, Mykonos, and Rhodes – saw 117 tourist overnight stays for every resident. A similarly high tourism intensity was recorded on the Ionian Islands around Corfu, with 98 overnight stays per inhabitant.
Large numbers of tourists also flocked to South Tyrol (68 overnight stays), the Croatian Adriatic coast (67), and the Spanish Balearic Islands (57), where the local populations are relatively small. On Mallorca, the main island of the Balearics, there have recently been major protests by residents against soaring rents and living costs.
In contrast, statisticians found virtually no tourists in some regions of Poland and Romania, with just about one overnight stay per resident recorded over the course of the year.
Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania Sees High Overnight Stays
In Germany, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania leads the way with around 18 overnight stays per resident, making it the region with the highest tourism intensity. Out of 237 EU regions, this ranks it 17th overall. The most visited German destination was Upper Bavaria, including Munich, with 41.6 million overnight stays.
In absolute numbers, the Canary Islands, which also belong to Spain, were Europe’s most popular holiday destination in 2023, with 95.6 million overnight stays. However, with 43 overnight stays per capita, Tenerife and its neighboring islands ranked only 10th in terms of tourism intensity.
