The data from Eurostat, the statistics arm of the European Union, shows that booking platforms including Airbnb, Expedia, Tripadvisor, and Booking sold about 678 million nights in short-term rentals in Europe last year, up 14% from 2022. In the fourth quarter of 2023, these platforms sold 132.4 million nights, marking a 22.7% increase from the previous year. All countries in Europe except Liechtenstein showed growth in the number of guest nights spent in short-term rentals.
Spain, France, and Italy were the top destination countries in the fourth quarter of 2023, with growth rates of 28.1%, 18.5%, and 27.5% respectively. In comparison, the most significant rises in nights spent in 2022 were in Sweden, France, and Belgium. The most popular regions for travelers in the third quarter of 2023 remained the same as the previous year, with Jadranska Hrvatska in Croatia, Andalucía in Spain, and the French Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur being the top destinations.
In comparison to Europe, travelers in the U.S. stayed 207 million nights in vacation rentals in 2023. In 2022, the EU commission announced that booking platforms would be required to disclose data on the number of users using their platforms. The European Parliament later approved the “Airbnb law,” mandating short-term rental platforms to comply with data sharing and supervision measures. Platforms such as Airbnb, Booking, Vrbo, and HomeTogo are required to share data with local authorities on a monthly basis to combat illegal rentals.
The shared data includes the host’s identity, contact information, rental location, and maximum occupancy details. A provisional agreement on these regulations was reached by EU negotiators and the parliament in November. Eurostat agreed with partner platforms to publish monthly regional data three months after country-level data, which means that the regional data only includes information up to September 2023, while the country-level data goes up to December 2023. It is important to note that the data provided does not include bookings made directly with short-term accommodation providers beyond the designated platforms.
Overall, the data from Eurostat highlights the increasing popularity of short-term rentals in Europe, with significant growth in the number of guest nights spent in these accommodations. The top destination countries in Europe for short-term rentals include Spain, France, and Italy, with consistent growth rates year over year. The implementation of the “Airbnb law” in the EU aims to regulate and monitor the short-term rental market more effectively, ensuring compliance with data sharing requirements and combating illegal rentals. This data provides valuable insights into the trends and preferences of travelers in the short-term rental market in Europe.
