Europe is groaning:

Well-known vacation destinations are bursting at the seams

The Croatian city of Dubrovnik tops the list of the most crowded cities in Europe.

(Bild: EPA/Stringer)

Europe is groaning under mass tourism. A new list now shows the most crowded cities. So if you prefer a quiet vacation, you should avoid them.

With the growth of global tourism, many European cities are facing the challenge of coping with the onslaught of tourists. Venice is suffering from canal erosion, Florence is struggling with rising rents and housing shortages due to vacation rentals, and Mallorca and Amsterdam have also introduced measures such as tourist taxes to counteract the problem.

The travel company Holidu has now identified the cities with the highest number of tourists per inhabitant. Using data from the market research company Euromonitor International, the number of tourists arriving in 2023 was compared with the city's population.

Here you can see the list of the travel company Holidu.

(Bild: Krone KREATIV)

Dubrovnik before Rhodes
Dubrovnik, the jewel on the Adriatic, is surprisingly in first place with 27 tourists per inhabitant. Rhodes struggles with 26 tourists per inhabitant and turned from a quiet island into a crowded hotspot. Venice, with 21 tourists per inhabitant, is also suffering from the onslaught and has been charging daily entry fees since 2024, which will be increased in 2025.

Heraklion on Crete has an average of 18 tourists per inhabitant and offers hidden gems such as Fodele Beach alongside its bustling center. Florence, flooded with almost 14 tourists per inhabitant, has been levying a tourist tax since 2023, but remains a must for art lovers.

Vienna included
Vienna is also on the list, but only in 22nd place with almost four tourists per inhabitant. A few larger cities such as Rome, Madrid, Istanbul and Berlin are therefore less crowded.