Chaos in Croatia as Europe ‘best kept secret’ now sees tourists outnumber locals 133 to 1

A recent report by Which? Travel has highlighted the escalating problem of overtourism across Europe. With rising concerns about overcrowding, mounting protests and growing frustration among locals — manifesting itself in a new wave of demonstrations — the report analysed recent tourism data from the European Commission to pinpoint destinations that travellers may want to steer clear of this summer.

Croatia’s picturesque Istrian peninsula has emerged as one of the most heavily impacted areas. Despite ongoing efforts by the Balkan country to market the region as a “hidden gem,” the data suggests the region is anything but undiscovered. Today, Istra continues to be dubbed as Croatia's "best kept secret", however, in reality, the region is straining under the pressure of 133,467 visitors per 1,000 locals, or a ratio of around 133 tourists to one resident.

Istria, the largest peninsula in the Adriatic Sea, lies between the Gulf of Trieste and the Kvarner Gulf. Around 90% of the region is part of Croatia, with smaller portions belonging to Italy and Slovenia. Key towns in the area include the historic city of Pula, along with the coastal gems of Rovinj, Poreč and Labin.

However, experts are increasingly warning that the downsides of overtourism—rising property prices, strained infrastructure, and disruptive visitor behaviour—are beginning to overshadow the economic gains from one of Croatia’s most important industries. According to a statement from the Ministry of Tourism, revenue from international visitors reached just under €15 billion (£12.8 billion) in 2024, marking a 2.7% increase from the previous year.

However, many popular destinations are now grappling with the challenge of maintaining residents’ quality of life amid surging tourist numbers. Dubrovnik, in the country’s south, is among the hardest hit, with its historic centre increasingly overwhelmed by the constant influx of visitors.

Last year, the city made famous by Game of Thrones recorded a significant increase in tourism, with 4.56 million overnight stays and 1.4 million tourist arrivals. This made it the most visited destination in Croatia for overnight stays and second by arrivals, after the capital, Zagreb.

Croatia is not the only region suffering from growing tourism. The Which? report also identified Zakynthos (Zante) in Greece and Fuerteventura in the Canary Islands as among the most crowded destinations. The Greek island topped the list with a whopping 150 to 1 ratio of visitors to residents.

“It’s becoming harder for residents to live comfortably here year-round,” a local resident from the island’s main town told Greek news site Neos Kosmos.

Meanwhile, in Spain, visitors outnumber residents by 120 to 1 in Fuerteventura - an island that has become increasingly vocal about its struggle with overtourism. Paris also topped the ranking for the highest tourist density, with a staggering 418,280 visitors per square kilometre, far outstripping Athens in second place with 88,535 and Copenhagen with 63,944.