Europe’s Top Tourist Destinations Face Record Numbers and Growing Overtourism Challenges

In 2025 Europe recorded more than 1.5 billion overnight stays. Spain led with 329,661,068 nights, followed by Italy (264,741,414), Türkiye (154,799,879), France (150,753,829) and the United Kingdom (149,803,000 nights, 2024 data). Greece, Austria, Croatia, Germany and the Netherlands completed the top-10 list (Eurostat/VisitBritain).

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The European Commission and Eurostat note that Europe remains the world’s most visited region, contributing roughly 3.2 % of global travel growth in 2026. The sector supports 376 million jobs worldwide. Deloitte-Google forecasts Spain will become the world’s most visited country by 2040, overtaking France with an estimated 110 million arrivals.

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• 1.5 billion overnight stays across Europe (2025).

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• Spain’s international visitor spending reached €115.1 billion in 2025, averaging $1,344 per visitor (WTTC).

Spain Emerges as Global Tourism’s Standout High Value Destination, WTTC Research Shows

• Croatia logged 85.6 million visitor nights in 2025, with 1,000 weekend hikers at Mt Kalnik.

Kalnik emerging as new inland Croatian tourism hotspot

• Tourism-related taxes are under review in several Adriatic municipalities as visitor numbers climb.

Croatia’s Tourism Taxes Become a Bigger Debate Ahead of Summer

Tourism continues to generate high economic value, yet overtourism protests have erupted in Spain and Italy. In Croatia, island water supplies, waste management and seasonal infrastructure are straining under record summer arrivals, prompting debates over tourist levies and the sustainability of traditional konobas.

Croatia’s Tourism Taxes Become a Bigger Debate Ahead of Summer

The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) highlighted that “investment in connectivity, seamless travel, and visitor experience can translate into stronger economic returns.” Spanish tourism authorities cite the sector’s resilience and high-value growth. Croatian County prefect Tomislav Golubic announced a master plan for Mt Kalnik to integrate natural heritage, history and local gastronomy into a balanced inland tourism strategy. Municipalities along the Adriatic coast are evaluating adjustments to the boravišna tax to fund infrastructure upgrades.

Croatian Motorways are Altering Inland Tourism

Environmental NGOs and resident groups in Spain and Italy criticize mass-tourism pressure on historic centres and coastal ecosystems. Croatian hospitality operators warn that higher tourist taxes could erode price competitiveness against Greece, Italy and Spain. Food-culture advocates argue that rising rents and staffing shortages threaten the survival of authentic konobas.

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Protesters in Barcelona and Rome have staged demonstrations outside major attractions. In northern Croatia, Kalnik’s mayor reported roughly 1,000 weekend visitors, while local officials noted increasing demand for improved road links and public services.

Kalnik emerging as new inland Croatian tourism hotspot

UK visitor-night figures are presented for 2024, whereas other nations use 2025 data, creating a temporal mismatch. The precise effect of the Iran-related oil price surge on Spain’s tourism spending remains unquantified. Comprehensive, up-to-date statistics on Croatia’s inland visitor numbers are lacking.

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• “Kalnik has all the prerequisites to be more strongly positioned as one of the new inland tourism destinations in northern Croatia, with development based on a combination of natural heritage, history, recreation, and local gastronomy,” — Tomislav Golubic, County Prefect, Koprivnica-Križevci

Kalnik emerging as new inland Croatian tourism hotspot

• “Gloria Guevara, President & CEO, WTTC, said: “International visitor spending has now surpassed pre-pandemic levels globally, reaching more than US$2TN in 2025 — a powerful signal of the sector’s resilience and continued growth.” — Gloria Guevara, President & CEO, WTTC

Spain Emerges as Global Tourism’s Standout High Value Destination, WTTC Research Shows

• “But beyond overall growth, the real story is the rise of high-value travel.” — Gloria Guevara, President & CEO, WTTC

Spain Emerges as Global Tourism’s Standout High Value Destination, WTTC Research Shows

• “Spain is outperforming the European average for international visitor spend per traveller, demonstrating how investment in connectivity, seamless travel, and visitor experience can translate into stronger economic returns.” — WTTC spokesperson

Spain Emerges as Global Tourism’s Standout High Value Destination, WTTC Research Shows

• “With international visitors to Spain spending an estimated $1,344 per trip on average, compared to approximately $1,068 across Europe, the country continues to stand out as one of the region’s highest-value Travel & Tourism markets.” — WTTC spokesperson

Spain Emerges as Global Tourism’s Standout High Value Destination, WTTC Research Shows

• “Spain has successfully positioned itself as both a volume and value leader in global Travel & Tourism.” — WTTC spokesperson

Spain Emerges as Global Tourism’s Standout High Value Destination, WTTC Research Shows

Deloitte-Google projects Spain to host 110 million arrivals by 2040, intensifying the need for sustainable capacity management. Croatian municipalities are expected to finalize revised tourist-tax proposals before the 2026 summer season, while continued motorway expansion aims to disperse visitor flows toward inland destinations. WTTC forecasts a 5.3 % rise in Spain’s visitor spending for 2026, underscoring the sector’s ongoing growth amid mounting overtourism pressures.

Spain set to be most visited country by 2040