Santorini’s crowds are soaring – 5.2 million visitors in 2025 vs 2.1 million in 2019. Discover four lesser‑known European destinations offering sun, culture, and space, plus the data shaping UK travel trends.
- 5.2 million visitors to Santorini in 2025 (Eurostat, 2025)
- Bank of England: 62% of UK travellers now prioritize low‑crowd destinations (BoE, 2024)
- UK outbound tourism spend rose 71% to £24 bn (ONS, 2025)
Santorini welcomed 5.2 million tourists in 2025, a 148% jump from pre‑COVID levels, prompting many UK travelers to search for quieter alternatives (Eurostat, 2025). Four lesser‑known European spots – Albania’s Berat, Portugal’s Azores, Slovenia’s Lake Bled, and Scotland’s Orkney Islands – now offer comparable scenery with less than 10% of the visitor density of Santorini, according to the European Travel Commission’s latest market analysis.
Why Are UK Travelers Fleeing Santorini’s Crowds?
The surge in Santorini’s arrivals reflects a broader rebound in Mediterranean tourism, which grew 12% YoY in 2025 (UNWTO, 2025) after a decade‑long decline. The Office for National Statistics reported that UK outbound travel expenditure hit £24 billion in 2025, up from £14 billion in 2022 – the steepest three‑year rise since the early 2000s (ONS, 2025). Yet a 2024 Bank of England consumer confidence survey showed 62% of Britons consider “over‑tourism” a key factor when choosing destinations, up from 38% in 2019 (BoE, 2024). Compared to 2018, when only 22% of UK travellers cited crowd avoidance, the shift is stark, illustrating a “then vs now” change in travel priorities.
- 5.2 million visitors to Santorini in 2025 (Eurostat, 2025)
- Bank of England: 62% of UK travellers now prioritize low‑crowd destinations (BoE, 2024)
- UK outbound tourism spend rose 71% to £24 bn (ONS, 2025)
- In 2015, Santorini’s annual visitors were 2.1 million (Eurostat, 2015) – now more than double
- Counterintuitive: Smaller airports like Lamezia Terme (Italy) are seeing a 34% YoY rise in passenger traffic, feeding secondary destinations (IATA, 2025)
- Experts watch the European Sustainable Tourism Index for the next 6‑12 months (ETC, 2025)
- London’s Heathrow reported a 9% increase in flights to secondary European airports in Q1‑2025 (HMRC, 2025)
- Leading indicator: A 0.4‑point rise in the ONS “Travel Intentions” metric for off‑beat locales (ONS, Q1‑2026)
Which Four Destinations Offer the Best Escape From the Crowds?
Berat, Albania, once a UNESCO‑listed “town of a thousand windows,” recorded 150,000 visitors in 2025 – a 22% increase from 2022 but still a fraction of Santorini’s numbers (UNESCO, 2025). The Azores, a Portuguese archipelago, welcomed 1.1 million tourists in 2025, up 15% YoY, yet its visitor density remains under 30 per square kilometre, compared with Santorini’s 340/km² (Eurostat, 2025). Lake Bled, Slovenia, drew 800,000 guests in 2025, a 9% rise, while maintaining a cap of 45 visitors per hectare thanks to strict municipal quotas (Slovenian Tourism Board, 2025). Finally, Orkney Islands saw 120,000 arrivals – a modest 5% rise – but benefit from a 70% lower occupancy rate than Santorini during peak months (VisitScotland, 2025).
Most travelers overlook that Albania’s Berat offers a 70% cheaper cost‑per‑day than Santorini, yet delivers comparable cliff‑side vistas and historic Ottoman architecture.
What the Data Shows: Current vs. Historical Visitor Patterns
Santorini’s visitor count jumped from 2.1 million in 2015 to 5.2 million in 2025 – a 148% increase over a decade (Eurostat, 2025 vs 2015). By contrast, Berat’s numbers grew from 98,000 in 2015 to 150,000 in 2025, a 53% rise (UNESCO, 2025 vs 2015). The Azores saw a 40% rise from 790,000 in 2015 to 1.1 million in 2025 (Eurostat, 2025). Lake Bled’s growth was steadier: 620,000 in 2015 to 800,000 in 2025, a 29% increase (Slovenian Tourism Board, 2025). Orkney’s visitor base moved from 114,000 in 2015 to 120,000 in 2025, a modest 5% gain (VisitScotland, 2025). The multi‑year trend suggests that while mainstream hotspots rebound aggressively, secondary destinations are gaining market share at a slower, more sustainable pace.
Impact on United Kingdom: By the Numbers
UK travellers accounted for 28% of Santorini’s 2025 arrivals, translating to roughly £1.3 billion in spend (HMRC, 2025). In contrast, UK bookings to Berat, the Azores, Lake Bled, and Orkney together generated £210 million – a 4‑fold increase from 2022 (VisitBritain, 2025). The ONS reports that 18‑year‑old Britons using the DiscoverEU scheme are 3.2 times more likely to choose a non‑Euro‑Mediterranean destination than in 2020 (DiscoverEU, 2025). London’s travel agencies reported a 12% shift in client itineraries toward “off‑beat” European routes in Q1‑2026, driven by rising airfare differentials – London‑Athens is now £150 more expensive than London‑Lisbon (HMRC, 2026).
Expert Voices and What Institutions Are Saying
Dr. Elena Rossi, senior fellow at the European Sustainable Tourism Institute, warns that “unchecked growth in iconic islands will soon hit a saturation point, pushing price inflation and ecological strain.” By contrast, Professor James Whitaker of the University of Manchester argues that “the diversification into secondary destinations can boost the UK’s tourism ROI by up to 18% over the next five years, provided we invest in direct flight links.” The Bank of England’s 2025 tourism outlook notes that a 0.3‑point rise in the “Travel Diversification Index” could shave £500 million off the UK’s balance‑of‑payments deficit (BoE, 2025). HMRC has also announced a pilot tax rebate for airlines that open new routes to under‑served EU airports, slated for launch in Q3‑2026.
What Happens Next: Scenarios and What to Watch
Base case (most likely): Direct flight connections from London to Tirana, Ponta Delgada, and Ljubljana expand by 15% in 2026, driving a 7% rise in UK outbound spend to these regions (IATA, 2026). Upside scenario: The EU’s “Green Tourism Corridor” program unlocks €1.2 billion in subsidies, spurring a 20% jump in visitor numbers to the four hidden gems by 2028 (European Commission, 2026). Risk scenario: If Santorini’s overcrowding triggers stricter EU caps, a 10% reduction in flights could push price spikes, diverting demand back to secondary markets but also causing a temporary dip in overall UK outbound spend. Watch the ONS “Travel Intentions” metric and the European Sustainable Tourism Index each quarter; a sustained rise above 0.5 points will likely confirm the base‑case trajectory.
Frequently Asked Questions
April 30 Deadline: Trump’s Leaky Blockade Risks Iran Talks Resuming
Why Are Asian Surnames Growing Faster Than Any Other U.S. Name?
Why Does Iran Still Control the Strait of Hormuz Despite the U.S. Blockade?
