Europe shifts to Airbnb en masse: online accommodation bookings set to set a record in 2024
Hans Isaacson, Unsplash
According to Eurostat data published on 2 April 2025, in 2024 guests will spend 854.1 million nights in EU short-term rental properties booked through the largest online platforms: Airbnb, Booking, Expedia Group and TripAdvisor. This represents an 18.8 per cent increase on 2023 (719 million nights), a new all-time high.
It is noteworthy that growth was observed almost every month - the only exception was April, when the number of overnight stays decreased by 1.8%. This decline is explained by the fact that in 2024 Easter fell in March, and in 2023 - in April, which distorted the monthly dynamics. The strongest year-on-year jump was recorded in March (+48%), May (+31.7%), August (+21.6%) and November (+21.5%).
In the third quarter of 2024 - traditionally the peak tourist season - the most popular regions were:
- Jadranska Hrvatska in Croatia (25.2 million nights, +6% compared to 2023),
- Andalucía in Spain (17.2 million, +23.1%),
- Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur in France (15.6 million, +26.2%).
Among the twenty most popular regions, six were in France, five each in Spain and Italy, two in Greece, and one each in Croatia and Portugal.
The data refer to the regional level of NUTS 2 (EU statistical division units) and relate exclusively to short-term rentals through digital platforms. This is part of Eurostat's experimental statistics to better assess the impact of the platform economy on tourism and the housing market.
In the context of urban and social debates, this is particularly important: such rapid growth in short-term rentals via online services has long been a concern for authorities in major European cities, including Paris, Barcelona and Amsterdam, where restrictions on the number of rental days and requirements to register properties have already been introduced.
Thus, the record figures for 2024 confirm: the platform economy in tourism has not only gained a foothold in the everyday lives of Europeans, but continues to expand despite attempts at regulation and criticism from city authorities and residents.
