Airbnb has hit back at those blaming the company for the issues arising from overtourism across Europe. Many countries across the continent have been experiencing a number of problems as a result of mass tourism, and now the holiday property rental company has addressed city leaders regarding the issue.
Airbnb called on city leaders in the European Union’s 10 most visited cities to address the “overwhelming impact” of hotels on driving overtourism. It comes as Majorca’s resort city, Palma, prepares for an anti-tourism protest on Sunday (June 15), and Majorcan hoteliers are blaming Airbnb for the influx of tourists.
However, Airbnb has hit back and claimed hotels are to blame. The company used Eurostat data to reveal that hotels were responsible for nearly 80% of overnight stays in the European Union last year.
Between 2021 and 2023, the number of nights booked in the continents 10 most visited cities increased by 2.5, equivalent to more than 200 million additional nights, and hotels accounted for three quarters of this increase, reports Majorca Daily Bulletin.
“If cities are serious about mass tourism, they can no longer ignore the impact of hotels,” says Theo Yedinsky, Airbnb’s Vice President of Public Policy. “Europe needs more housing, not more hotels. Yet in many cities, hotel construction continues, while housing development falls to lows not seen in almost a decade.”
The report, entitled ‘Overtourism in the EU’, is based on official data from Eurostat, the World Tourism Organisation, as well as industry and Airbnb’s data.
The research found that in 2024, an all-time record was broken, three billion nights were booked in hotels and similar accommodations in European destinations. In 2023, hotels across the top 10 EU cities accounted for five times more guests than Airbnb.
Despite the claims that mass tourism is at the forefront of the housing crisis across European countries, Airbnb insists new hotel projects continue to be in the works, with Spainish authories approving more than 800 new hotel projects, which will add 76,000 new hotel rooms across the country by 2026.
