Alternatives to Airbnb: Sustainable accommodation for your next vacation!

Alternatives to Airbnb: Sustainable accommodation for your next vacation!

The use of private accommodation via platforms such as Airbnb has increased significantly in recent years. While this offers travelers many options, it also has a noticeable negative impact on housing markets in many cities. Travel reporter reports that the expansive business models of such platforms are not only driving up rents, but also exacerbating the housing shortage and displacing locals. This issue has already led to anti-tourist demonstrations in popular holiday destinations such as Barcelona, ​​Mallorca and Tenerife, where slogans such as “Tourists go home” can be seen on walls.

Particularly drastic measures were taken in Spain. The government has ordered Airbnb to remove over 65,000 listings, while Barcelona plans to ban vacation rentals completely by the end of 2028. This problem not only affects Spain, but also affects other tourist hotspots such as Venice, Paris, Amsterdam and Rome. Travelers are therefore urged to consider the impact of their accommodation choices and consider fairer alternatives.

Sustainable booking options

For travelers looking to make their accommodation experiences more sustainable, there are several alternatives. Platforms likeFairbnboffer a business model in which 50% of the placement fees flow into local social projects. This platform is active in several countries such as Portugal, Italy and Spain. Another provider,Ecobnb, focuses on environmentally friendly accommodations and evaluates them based on ten sustainability criteria. A tree is also planted for every booking.

Additionally there isBeWelcome, where travelers can stay with locals, andSocialbnb, which offers accommodation from local NGOs and supports social projects such as school construction. Furthermore conveyedNature cottageprivate holiday homes, from tree houses to tiny houses, and contributes to nature conservation by channeling part of the sales into appropriate projects.

Overview of Airbnb's impact

While Airbnb is often criticized, a study by the Fraunhofer Institute for Industrial Engineering and Organization IAO shows that the platform has no significant influence on rental prices or the availability of living space in Germany. This research, carried out on behalf of Airbnb, finds that accommodation rented through Airbnb only accounts for 0.3% of the German housing stock. Of these accommodations, only 0.07% were rented for more than 90 days in 2023.

In cities like Berlin, the housing shortage is attributed to demographic factors such as population growth and inflation. It is estimated that around 140,000 apartments will be needed by 2025. Even if Airbnb has a positive impact on tourism and the local economy - for example by providing cost-effective alternatives to hotels - its impact on rental prices remains negligible compared to other economic factors.

76% of the accommodations rented via Airbnb in Germany are only rented out occasionally, which makes it necessary to create transparent and balanced rules for short-term rentals. Cities like Hamburg and Berlin have already passed regulations requiring hosts to include registration numbers or contact information in their listings. These efforts are supported by the new EU regulation on short-term rentals, which requires cities to only request data from platforms if local rules are appropriate.

It becomes clear that both travelers and accommodation providers have a responsibility to promote a sustainable and fair tourism culture that meets the needs of both visitors and the local population.