The picturesque city of Dubrovnik, Croatia, has been named the most overcrowded city in Europe due to tourism, according to a recent report by the German holiday rental website Holidu.
The study, which utilised 2023 data from Euromonitor, ranked European cities based on the number of incoming tourists per inhabitant, highlighting the cities most impacted by overtourism.
Dubrovnik, known for its stunning medieval architecture and its popularity as a filming location for Game of Thrones, topped the list with a staggering 27 tourists per resident.
The city’s infrastructure and resources have been under great pressure, as the influx of visitors far outstrips the local population.
With the city’s popularity growing significantly in recent years, its local have had to deal with overcrowded streets, overwhelmed local services, and concerns about the sustainability of its tourism industry.
Overtourism is also a growing issue in many popular destinations around the world.
According to Holidu, other cities that are heavily affected by overtourism include Venice, Italy, and Reykjavik, Iceland.
Venice, with its historic canals and unique architecture, has long struggled with high tourist numbers, leading to similar concerns about sustainability and the preservation of its cultural heritage.
Reykjavik, the capital of Iceland, has seen a dramatic increase in visitors in recent years, largely due to the country’s natural attractions and popularity as a stopover destination.
Local authorities in these cities are increasingly looking for ways to manage the number of visitors.
Dubrovnik, for instance, has implemented measures such as limiting the number of cruise ships allowed to dock each day and introducing timed ticketing for its historic city walls to reduce congestion and protect the city’s heritage sites.