The tourism sector has boomed since the 1990s, not least because of the digital revolution. Meanwhile, the EU is looking into a legal framework to regulate how online platforms should operate in this growing market.
Travel platforms like Airbnb and Booking have democratised the rental offer for millions of consumers and opened up the market for thousands of hosts. At the same time, tourist hubs like Barcelona and Amsterdam have experienced the ‘touristification’ of their urban centres and a drop in the offer of long-term housing.
When municipalities tried to manage the phenomenon, their enforcement of the local rules was crippled by the lack of access to data. In turn, tech companies are limited in the personal data that they can share and challenge disproportionate data collection requests.
In this complex scenario, the EU is called to strike a delicate balance between economic opportunities and sustainability, transparency and data protection, legal certainty and the need to adapt the rules to the local realities.
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Expectations high over delayed EU proposal on short-term rentals
Est. 5minThe European Commission's proposal to regulate the short-term rental market, dominated by travel platforms like Booking and Airbnb, has seen repeated delays and is subject to a number of hurdles EU policymakers will have to solve.
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EU’s rulebook on short-term rentals puts evidence-based policymaking to the test
Est. 5minAs an upcoming EU regulation seeks to set a legal framework for tourist accommodation despite minimal data existing for the sector, EURACTIV examines how city officials and short-term rental hosts will be affected.
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Travel platforms want to move away from tourist areas in search for sustainability
Est. 5minAs the European Commission and local authorities seek to manage over-tourism in populous European cities, short-term rental tech platforms are encouraging stays in more remote and rural areas.
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MEP: More data on short-term rental needed, as EU legislation is no panacea
Est. 5minThe EU Commission's recent proposal on short-term rentals (STRs), which hones in on transparency measures and streamlines registration processes, is a step in the right direction as comprehensive data is essential to better regulate the sector, Cláudia Monteiro de Aguiar MEP told EURACTIV.
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Airbnb wants to make new EU rules a success for everyone
Est. 6minThe EU has just adopted proposals for new rules to tackle some of the greatest questions associated with the growth of Airbnb and short-term rentals in Europe. What does an effective EU framework for regulating this industry look like? How …