Greece Hits Overtourism Index; Mykonos and Santorini Removed from Travel Platform

Greece has been identified as one of the most affected countries by overtourism, according to the first-ever overtourism index by Roland Berger, in partnership with the travel platform Evaneos.

As a result, Evaneos has decided to remove the popular Greek islands Mykonos and Santorini from its vacation offerings starting in 2025.

The index, which evaluates 70 major tourist destinations worldwide, highlights Greece, alongside Cyprus, Mauritius, and Croatia, as particularly vulnerable to the adverse effects of excessive tourism. These countries have high tourism dependence, with an average of 25% of their GDP coming from the sector.

Destinations are rated from 1 to 5 based on factors like the number of international tourists per capita, density, seasonal peaks, and sustainability practices. Greece scored a 4, indicating severe exposure to overtourism, especially in its coastal regions.

Evaneos' decision to exclude Mykonos and Santorini aims to address the significant pressure on local resources and infrastructure. Co-CEO Aurélie Sandler noted that the move is in response to concerns about the impact of high tourist volumes on these islands' ecosystems and resources during peak summer months.

The index also highlights that major European destinations, including Spain, Italy, Portugal, and France, experience severe tourist concentration in the summer, with up to 43% of annual visits occurring in the third quarter.

To combat overtourism, Sandler advocates for promoting travel during off-peak seasons like spring and autumn, which could help distribute tourist traffic more evenly throughout the year.

The index has also flagged Morocco, Vietnam, Egypt, and Iceland for close monitoring, urging these countries to manage tourist capacities and take action to mitigate the effects of overtourism.

(Source: Money Tourism)