Airbnb has blamed “overtourism” in Europe on the hotel industry, as the US short-term home rentals group hits back against criticism from regulators and residents that its service is leading to overcrowding in holiday hotspots.
Theo Yedinsky, vice-president for public policy at Airbnb, told the Financial Times that the company is the victim of “scapegoating” by local authorities, such as in Barcelona, where there have been protests against the post-pandemic boom in overseas travel.
“We end up getting a lot of the blame, especially in city centres [but] the reality is overtourism is really driven by the hotels,” he said. “It is totally unfair.”
In recent years, platforms that allow for short-term lettings such as Airbnb, Vrbo and Booking.com have come under fire for issues from making housing unaffordable for locals to water supplies being depleted.
While the majority of overnight visitors in Europe opt to stay in hotels — 63 per cent in 2024 according to EU statistics — it is the rapid growth in short-term lets that appears to worry residents most.
