Svalbard, Chios, El Hierro: How these European islands have successfully avoided overtourism

Mass tourism is erstwhile again testing nan limits of Europe's astir visited places - and islands are among nan hardest hit.

With constricted onshore and vulnerable infrastructure, grounds visitant numbers person driven up lodging costs and stretched section services beyond breaking point.

In caller years, protests person erupted crossed archipelagos arsenic residents telephone connected section governments to commencement putting them first.

A caller study from BookRetreats.com has delved into which islands are astir overloaded and which person been softly modelling a much sustainable approach.

Overtourism is peculiarly damaging successful mini regions

"Tourism has transformed galore of Europe's islands, but nan gait and standard are nary longer sustainable," says Sean Kelly, co-founder of BookRetreats.com.

"When section systems are stretched and communities are pushed out, it's a motion thing needs to change. That's why it's truthful important we look astatine nan data, understand wherever nan unit is highest, and commencement choosing destinations that tin genuinely use from our presence."

The booking retreat website analysed nan latest information from nan European Commission, focusing connected really galore overnight stays successful tourer accommodation location were per quadrate kilometre (km2), a cardinal measurement of tourism density.

This metric shows really concentrated tourism becomes successful small regions, peculiarly impactful connected islands wherever infrastructure, land, and earthy resources are limited.

Malta is nan astir tourist-dense land successful Europe

Mallorca whitethorn beryllium Europe's astir visited island, but nary destination packs much tourism into specified a mini abstraction arsenic Malta.

At conscionable 316 km2, Malta is mini capable to fresh into London 5 times over, yet it sees much than 38,700 overnight stays per km2.

The unit is visible crossed nan archipelago, particularly astatine tourer hotspots for illustration Comino's Blue Lagoon, which draws up to 12,000 visitors a time successful summer.

Due to nan aggravated unit these numbers spot connected nan section situation and infrastructure, officials precocious introduced a regular headdress of 4,000 visitors astatine nan site, and booking is now required.

Despite these clear problems, nan authorities has announced plans to raise full arrivals to 4.5 cardinal by 2034.

Canary Islands are emotion nan strain of overtourism

Predictably, aft Malta successful nan ranking comes a bid of Spanish islands.

Known for its aureate beaches, volcanic trails, and year-round sunshine, Lanzarote has agelong been a magnet for holidaymakers. The information shows this land now sees much than 21,600 overnight stays per km2.

Tenerife records 16,873 overnight stays, followed intimately by Gran Canaria pinch 16,709. Even Fuerteventura, often marketed arsenic a quieter option, ranks 12th among nan continent's astir saturated islands.

Although tourism accounts for astir 35 per cent of nan Canary Islands' GDP, galore residents opportunity nan costs of wide tourism outweighs nan benefits.

As summertime approaches, protests person dispersed crossed nan islands, pinch thousands taking to nan streets to telephone for caps connected visitant numbers, stricter controls connected short-term rentals, and protection of Canarian culture.

Spain’s Balearic Islands consciousness nan equilibrium has tipped excessively far

For decades, Ibiza and Formentera person drawn travellers pinch their turquoise waters and legendary nightlife. But for nan 170,000 group who telephone these islands home, nan standard of tourism has besides go overwhelming.

Last twelvemonth brought a grounds 3.7 cardinal visitors, on pinch different play of rising rents, clogged roads, and crowded beaches. With complete 17,000 overnight stays per km2, Ibiza and Formentera are nan astir overcrowded of nan Balearic islands.

While locals work together tourism is vital, galore opportunity nan equilibrium has tipped excessively far, pushing up surviving costs and making lodging unaffordable.

In April 2025, nan location authorities approved a caller group of Tourism Containment Measures to curb nan impact. Among them, stricter enforcement of licenses for tourism rentals and a prohibition connected creating caller tourer accommodation successful multi-family residential buildings.

Visit these bluish European islands practising sustainable tourism

Despite nan glum outlook for galore of Europe’s islands, dozens stay examples of destinations wherever sustainable tourism benefits residents.

For travellers consenting to task north, Svalbard offers genuine serenity successful Europe. With conscionable 2.4 overnight stays per km2, nan Arctic archipelago is nan slightest crowded land destination connected nan continent.

Accessible from mainland Norway, Svalbard feels for illustration a existent frontier. In summer, nan midnight

sun stretches crossed silent glaciers and wide fjords, making it 1 of nan fewer places successful Europe wherever you tin hike, kayak, aliases simply beryllium without seeing a soul.

What makes Svalbard particularly unsocial is its attack to tourism.

Over two-thirds of nan archipelago is protected by nationalist parks and quality reserves. Polar bears, Arctic foxes, and reindeer roam freely, while strict biology rules dictate wherever visitors tin spell and really they travel.

Accommodation is limited, mostly traditional hotels and mini hostels astir Longyearbyen, pinch minimal caller developments successful nan pipeline.

Cruise tourism, erstwhile connected nan emergence here, is now being rethought. As Norway tightens biology regulations, nan early points toward smaller, low-impact expedition cruises alternatively of ample ships.

Åland successful Finland and Sweden's Gotland besides rank among Europe's slightest overcrowded islands, each offering slower, much adventurous alternatives acold from nan accustomed crowds.

A Greek land that has avoided overtourism

Despite being nan fifth-largest land successful Greece, Chios remains remarkably nether nan radar.

It's astir nan aforesaid size arsenic Lanzarote, but sees astir 21,000 less overnight stays per km2.

That's partially by design. Chios has agelong been economically self-sufficient, acknowledgment to its uncommon mastic trees, which turn successful only a fewer places successful nan world.

Without unit to create large-scale tourism, nan land has taken a much sustainable approach, focusing alternatively connected small, family-run pensions, converted chromatic houses, and preserving its taste heritage.

Villages for illustration Pyrgi and Mesta consciousness untouched by time, and nan beaches, while beautiful, stay blissfully uncrowded. Nature is respected here, not packaged, and nan consequence is simply a benignant of tourism that fits nan place, alternatively than reshaping it.

Other Greek islands that rank among Europe's slightest crowded see Euboea, Lesvos, Limnos, Ikaria, and Samos.

If you want to sojourn a Canary Island, opt for El Hierro

On nan occidental separator of nan Canaries, El Hierro feels worlds distant from nan region's busiest edifice hubs. With conscionable 610 overnight stays per km2, it is Spain's slightest crowded land destination.

Fewer than 11,000 group unrecorded connected nan island, and tourism remains intentionally small-scale.

There are nary nonstop flights to El Hierro, which intends it receives a fistful of visitors compared to neighbouring Tenerife. There are astir 1,000 impermanent beds, mostly successful humble pensions and agrarian homes, and moreover nan island's largest edifice has nether 50 rooms.

The scenery is earthy and striking: volcanic cliffs, earthy swimming pools, ancient forests, and highland farms each beryllium wrong a UNESCO-designated Biosphere Reserve.

Visitors travel to hike, dive, and disconnect, but besides to acquisition a slower, much rooted type of land life.

Since tourism first began to create connected El Hierro, nan land has prioritised a sustainable approach.

Rather than prosecute volume, it has focused connected biology protection, self-sufficiency, and renewable energy, pinch nan extremity to trim emissions by 50 per cent by 2030 and execute zero emissions by 2050.

Tourism successful El Hierro besides supports, alternatively than replaces, accepted industries for illustration agriculture, which produces 98 per cent of each pineapples grown successful nan Canary Islands.

Elsewhere successful nan Canaries, islands for illustration La Palma and La Gomera look to beryllium avoiding nan worst of wide tourism, but pinch visitant numbers rising crossed nan archipelago, nan model for maintaining that equilibrium whitethorn beryllium narrowing.