The picturesque European destination only has a population of around nine million people – but it welcomes around 32 million international visitors on an annual basis
A European country has been named the world’s most overcrowded tourist destination – and it might come as a bit of a surprise.
Rather than places like Spain or Greece, which attract holiday-makers in their throngs, there is a landlocked location which welcomes the most visitors per local – Austria. Research carried out by MoneyTransfers.com in 2024 found that for every resident in Austria, there are almost four times the number of tourists, at a ratio of one resident to 3.6 tourists.
The country only has a population of around nine million; however, Austria accepts around 32 million international visitors yearly. Most of the tourists are concentrated in Austria’s capital, Vienna.
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The capital city is the country’s top tourist draw. Known as the ‘City of Dreams’, it’s no wonder so many people are eager to explore it. Top attractions include the Schonbrunn Palace, the Vienna Opera House, and the Museum of Natural History. It is packed with beautiful baroque architecture, historic landmarks and a great nightlife thanks to the bustling bars and restaurants.
But while Vienna is used to catering for huge numbers of visitors, other areas of the country are becoming increasingly popular – but they are not equipped to take on the influx of tourists.
One example is Hallstatt, a small town known for its picturesque Alpine houses, waterfalls and salt lakes, all backed by a beautiful snowy mountain range.
The town, the rumoured inspiration for the kingdom of Arendelle in Disney’s Frozen, was previously caught up in a battle with overtourism.
Wooden fences were constructed to obstruct the view of the lake, which had become a famous selfie backdrop, amid attempts to scale back the number of visitors to the area.
But they were later dismantled following backlash on social media. In a statement to local website Upper Austrian News in 2023, Mayor Scheutz said: “The only thing that would help is if the photo point is no longer a photo point.”
The town, a protected Unesco World Heritage site, has seen over a million tourists a year since it was rumoured to be the muse for Frozen.
Before the pandemic, foot traffic in the small town rose to around 10,000 visitors a day, causing Hallstatt’s mayor, Alexander Scheutz, to introduce a cap on the number of tour buses and cars allowed to enter the area.
The town itself only has around 800 residents, leading Scheutz to declare at the time that he’d like to slash tourist numbers by a third.
