Protests in Portugal, Spain, and Italy against overtourism sparked a mini blame game between Airbnb and TUI, with the former accusing hotels of being responsible for the phenomenon and the latter arguing that citizens are rebelling because of the cost of accommodation.
In response to this, the tourism giant and world’s leading tour operator answered a question from www.money-tourism.gr about the protests and events in Spain and beyond. Alexander Panzcuk, executive director of the TUI Care Foundation, and press spokesman Magnus Hüttenberend told to mney-tourism:
Mr. Magnus Hüttenberend: “TUI is in constant dialogue with local, regional, and national authorities in Spain, as well as with representatives of civil society. The reason why protesters took to the streets is because of problems with the cost of living, especially housing. Both problems are due to the secondary housing market and short-term rentals. In contrast, tourist hotels provide secure jobs for employees and related industries, are subject to regulations and planning, e.g. they are built in specific areas, minimizing the impact on local communities and without depriving those who need it of living space. As tourism professionals, our goal is to promote and protect the elements that make destinations attractive. We recognize the many benefits that organized and community-based tourism brings to destinations. We will continue to work towards this goal with our partners and continue to offer proactive solutions, such as housing opportunities for workers.
Months ago, Ian Corbett, speaking at the Sustainability Conference organized by the British news website Travel Weekly, said that the TUI Group has a long history of working with its partners in destinations and emphasized the need to continue this cooperation.
“We recognize that destinations have limits and that it is up to them to set those limits in terms of the number and type of tourism they want, and we will work within those limits,” he said. Asked about the protests, Mr. Corbett pointed out: “It is shocking and disturbing to see citizens anywhere protesting about an issue that you deal with so closely on a daily basis.” He added: “The most important thing is that there is transparency and a spirit of cooperation to find appropriate solutions.”
Describing the TUI Group’s approach to sustainability in its hotel portfolio, he emphasized the importance of scientifically based targets and underlined the critical role of energy efficiency. “Overall, 25% of our hotels generate their own electricity on site,” he said.
He welcomed global plans to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050 but noted that immediate action is vital. “The [commitment] for 2050 is a really important vision and goal, but it’s also a potential delay tactic,” Corbett said. He described 2030 as an important “milestone” on the road to 2050, adding: “It’s an important step in this journey, and that’s why we’re focusing much more on that.”
It is recalled that Theo Yedinsky, Airbnb’s vice president of public policy, told the Financial Times that the company is a victim of “cleverness” on the part of local authorities, such as in Barcelona, where protests have been held against the post-pandemic boom in overseas travel.
“It’s not our fault, especially in city centers, but the truth is that overtourism is mainly due to hotels,” he said. “It’s completely unfair.”
In recent years, platforms that allow short-term rentals, such as Airbnb, Vrbo, and Booking.com, have been criticized for issues ranging from the inability of locals to find affordable housing to the depletion of water supplies.
Last year, travelers stayed in short-term rentals for 715 million nights, an increase of 57 million compared to 2023, while the corresponding figure for hotels rose by 73 million to 1.9 billion, according to EU data.
Government measures against short-term rentals are “disappointing,” Yedinsky said, as “politicians are not using data” to examine the “problems that cause overtourism,” arguing that short-term rentals help alleviate overcrowding by directing tourism to less-traveled destinations.
However, Ilaria Pappalepore, associate professor of tourism at the University of Westminster, said hotels tend to be located in tourist areas, while Airbnb rentals are scattered throughout the city, leading to an increase in noisy nightlife, higher housing prices, and overcrowding on public transportation in residential areas.
Hotrec, the interest group representing the European hotel industry, has stated that the sector is subject to strict regulation by the authorities in order to respond to tourism potential, and that services such as Airbnb must “play by the same rules.”
According to Eurostat data, hotels accounted for 63% of overnight stays in Europe last year, while apartments, holiday homes and other short-term rentals accounted for 24% and camping for 13%.
While the estimated number of hotel nights increased by less than 4% year-on-year in 2024, the short-term rental market grew by 8%, representing an increase of 57 million.
