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

 With limited land and fragile infrastructure, islands are some of the destinations worst affected by mass tourism.

Mass tourism is once again testing the limits of Europe's most visited places - and islands are among the hardest hit.

With limited land and fragile infrastructure, record visitor numbers have driven up housing costs and stretched local services beyond breaking point.

In recent years, protests have erupted across archipelagos as residents call on local governments to start putting them first.

A new analysis from BookRetreats.com has delved into which islands are most overloaded and which have been quietly modelling a more sustainable approach.

Overtourism is particularly damaging in small regions

"When local systems are stretched and communities are pushed out, it's a sign something needs to change. That's why it's so important we look at the data, understand where the pressure is highest, and start choosing destinations that can truly benefit from our presence."

The booking retreat website analysed the latest data from the European Commission, focusing on how many overnight stays in tourist accommodation there were per square kilometre (km2), a key measure of tourism density.

This metric shows how concentrated tourism becomes in small regions, particularly impactful on islands where infrastructure, land, and natural resources are limited.

Malta is the most tourist-dense island in Europe

Mallorca may be Europe's most visited island, but no destination packs more tourism into such a small space as Malta.

At just 316 km2, Malta is small enough to fit into London five times over, yet it sees more than 38,700 overnight stays per km2.

The pressure is visible across the archipelago, especially at tourist hotspots like Comino's Blue Lagoon, which draws up to 12,000 visitors a day in summer.

Due to the intense pressure these numbers place on the local environment and infrastructure, officials recently introduced a daily cap of 4,000 visitors at the site, and booking is now required.

Despite these clear problems, the government has announced plans to raise total arrivals to 4.5 million by 2034.