Spain, a land of diverse and captivating cities like Mallorca, Malaga, Marbella, and Maspalomas, attracts thousands of tourists. The allure of these cities is undeniable, drawing visitors from all corners of the globe. However, the issue of 'overtourism' is a growing concern, particularly in places like Barcelona, Seville, and Ibiza.
The challenge is not unique to Spain, as other popular destinations like Venice, Rome, Amsterdam, Athens, Prague, London, and Crete, Bali, and Phuket also grapple with similar issues.
Spain, a country of rich culture and history, faces significant protests against mass tourism. These protests are a stark reminder of the challenges of the influx of tourists. Rising housing costs, environmental pollution, traffic congestion, and overcrowding are just a few of the issues that locals are grappling with. The strain on essential services like healthcare and waste management, as well as water shortages, further highlights the impact of overtourism on Spain.
Most Tourists per Capita
Among the most visited countries in the world however Spain does not have the most tourists per capita. Another country has the highest tourist rate.
When you divide the number of visitors by the number of inhabitants and thus determine the ratio of locals to holidaymakers, you find that Austria, often referred to as the Alpine Republic, takes first place in the list of the most popular tourist countries in the world.
Data from UN Tourism (the World Tourism Organization) still shows France as the most popular destination for foreign tourists in 2023, with 100 million arrivals ("international tourist arrivals"). This is probably due to Paris, the city of love, being on many people's to-do lists worldwide.
It's followed by Spain (85.2 million), USA (66.5 million), Italy (57.2 million), and Turkey (55.2 million).
Top Ten Most Visited Countries in Europe
Croatia has many tourists, with an estimated 16.9 million visitors in 2023, equating to 4.3 tourists per capita. Unsurprisingly, a Croatian destination tops the European cities with the most tourists per capita.
Austria also stands out, with 30.9 million guests compared to its 9.2 million inhabitants, resulting in a rate of 3.4 tourists per resident.
This figure in Greece is 3.1 tourists. Spain has 1.8 tourists per inhabitant, while France has 1.5. Italy has a nearly 1:1 ratio of tourists to inhabitants.
Conversely, Germany has less than half a tourist for every inhabitant, with a ratio of 0.4.
Some countries with relatively few inhabitants also have high tourist rates, such as Malta and Cyprus, particularly the microstates like Monaco, Andorra, San Marino, Liechtenstein, and the Vatican.
European Cities Most Flooded by Tourists
The holiday accommodation portal "Holidu" compared the number of arriving tourists with that of residents. In 2023, Dubrovnik was the most crowded city in Europe, with 27 tourists per capita, followed by Rhodes (26), Venice (21), Heraklion (18), and Florence (14). Reykjavik and Amsterdam had 12 tourists per inhabitant, Lisbon and Porto had 11, and Dublin and Athens had 9. Paris, Nice, and Bruges had seven tourists per inhabitant.
When looking at the number of overnight stays, the Southern Aegean in Greece stands out as having a particularly unbalanced ratio between locals and tourists compared to the rest of the EU, as reported by the Federal Statistical Office. The region had an average of 110 overnight stays per inhabitant two years ago.