Rhodes, Crete and Athens are ‘Overflowing’ with Tourists, Says Study

Source: Holidu

Three Greek tourism destinations – Rhodes, Heraklion and Athens – are on a list of European cities that are “overflowing” with tourists, according to a study released by vacation rentals search engine Holidu.

Using statistical data, the study was conducted using the number of yearly tourists in 2019 compared to the city’s population.

Highlighting the popularity of all the destinations on its list, Holidu recommends that holidaymakers should opt to visit them during the off season in order to enjoy them for all they have to offer.

Greece’s ‘overloaded’ destinations

Rhodes, Greece. Credit: Benjamin Recinos via Unsplash. Source: Holidu

The destinations of Rhodes and Heraklion in Greece have made the top 10 of the most overloaded cities in Europe, ranking fourth and seventh respectively. Athens ranked in the 14th place.

Knossos, Heraklion, Crete. Source: Visit Greece

Specifically for Rhodes, the largest of the Dodecanese islands, Holidu notes: “Rhodes is known for its ancient ruins and stunning beach resorts, so it is easy to see why they have 21 tourists per inhabitant. Lined with medieval streets and palaces, you can get history and stunning beaches all in the same location.”

Holidu “highly recommends” travelers to visit the Greek island between the months of April – May “to avoid the peak holiday season, crowds, and higher prices”.

Hellenic Parliament, Syntagma Square, Athens. Photo © GTP

According to Holidu, Heraklion on the Greek island of Crete has 13 tourists per 1 inhabitant and ranked 7th on the list and Athens has 8 tourists per inhabitant and ranked 14 overall on the list.

Most overloaded city in Europe: Dubrovnik

Dubrovnik, Croatia. Credit: Hans Jurgen Weinhardt via Unsplash. Source: Holidu

According to Holidu, with 36 tourists per 1 inhabitant, Dubrovnik in Croatia is the most overloaded city in Europe.

Holidu points out that the destination is known for its “stunning orange rooftops and its feature in the acclaimed Game of Thrones” and sees an influx of tourists during the summer months, especially in July and August.

The search engine recommends visiting in early May or mid-September to mid-October to beat the crowds.

Source: Holidu

Holidu’s ranking was made by using the number of tourists in 2019 (the last pre-pandemic year) for each city on The Savvy Backpacker and Air Mundo’s most visited cities lists. With the data, Holidu extracted the populations and ranked each city from highest to lowest based on the number of tourists per inhabitant, prioritising those with more tourists. All cities from both Russia and Ukraine were removed from the ranking.