The number of landlords and overnight stays booked via rental platform Airbnb has increased over the past two years, following the impact of the corona period. “The increase is especially noticeable in Flanders and Wallonia,” says Emmanuel Marill, director for Europe at Airbnb. “There are less encouraging signs in Brussels, due to the… heavier administration that is coming and the Brussels government’s plans for a revision of the rules surrounding tourist accommodations.”
Marill responds to the criticism that Airbnb would raise prices on the traditional rental market and cause problems in city centers based on a study conducted in France by PwC. “It shows that 92 percent of the people in the tourist accommodation rental market are private individuals. (…) There is a delusion of the professional multi-renter on Airbnb. There are professionals with activities on Airbnb, but this is rare. The PwC study also confirms that this tourist activity has only a minor impact on the housing crisis in France. I think that conclusion applies to many countries in Europe.”
Marill also indicates that Airbnb works well “with Flanders and Wallonia, where the regulations are proportionate”. “The landlord must be able to earn money, but also knows that there are controls to prevent abuse. It is a pity that this is not possible in Brussels,” said Marill, who says he has not spoken to the Brussels-based newspaper “for a long time”. government.
New updates
In between these political discussions at both Brussels and European level, the platform also unveiled new updates to its traveler site. Favorite properties, which recently received an average rating of 4.9/5 and excellent reviews, are now being highlighted. This concerns almost two million accommodations.
“Our goal is to convince new travelers to make the right choice. And new offers will always be highlighted in searches. There is no question of making recent accommodation providers invisible,” said Emmanuel Marill.
Reviews have also been redesigned to show more detail and sort responses more efficiently. Airbnb hosts are also entitled to an update to their dedicated application, making it easier for them to make changes to their listings or use artificial intelligence to get a virtual tour of their home.
