(20 October 2021) – A Eurobarometer survey published today reveals that short-term accommodation rentals help to improve the attractiveness of the tourism services offer in the EU but there is a need to consider the impacts on wider communities.
The survey provides evidence underscoring the need for a balanced development of the short-term accommodation rental sector. This implies maintaining opportunities for innovative platforms and SME service providers while respecting public policy objectives like available and affordable housing and protecting urban centres.
The survey, conducted in September 2021 across Europe, shows that 25% of Europeans book short-term rentals through online platforms and that a large majority (89%) of those who have ever booked a short-term rental consider it a positive experience that they would recommend to others.
Results also show how such services can lead to a more diversified accommodation offer, providing better prices (63%), better facilities (49%) and better locations (43%).
At the same time, the rapid rise of these services can have an impact beyond the tourism ecosystem, showing that almost half the people surveyed find that short-term rentals cause an increase in nuisance by tourists, such as noise, congestion and waste (45% of respondents) and higher prices and pressure on availability of housing (42%).