The latest data on tourist accommodations and the habits of travelers in their choice show that the demand for “Airbnb” or similar type of short-term rental accommodation in Europe is unequal, and the desire to stay in rural regions is increasing, reports “Euronews”. The most popular choice among foreigners is to settle in the rural regions of France and the Adriatic coast of Croatia.
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“Eurostat” data shows that last year the number of nights spent in short-term rental accommodation increased by seven percent, which looks like this in numbers – up to 547 million guests, compared to 512 million in 2019. The data does not provide a complete picture, as it covers the period when the pandemic was raging in the world, which significantly affected the tourism industry as a whole, but it allows us to draw some conclusions. For example, there is an uneven demand for short-term rental accommodation in Europe (a map with demand data can see here). Rural areas in countries such as Poland, France and Sweden have seen higher growth, while urban destinations such as Berlin, Prague and Vienna have seen lower demand.
In 2022, the most popular destination for travelers to stay in holiday homes, private apartments or rooms was the Adriatic coast of Croatia (27 million guests stayed overnight). Of the 10 regions with the highest demand, nine are in rural France. Especially in one region in the east of France, Franche-Comté, the number of guests choosing short-term rental accommodation increased by 93 percent. Although previously described as one of France’s most underrated regions, it looks like more and more travelers are discovering Franchise’s natural treasures. The region’s hills, plains and forests create an inviting landscape for those who enjoy hiking, while the eponymous cheese tempts foodies.
The administrative center of the region, Besançon, is a two-and-a-half-hour train ride from Paris and can be reached by train from Strasbourg, Lyon and Zurich.
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So-called “platform tourism”, where travelers choose online platforms to book accommodation, is booming in France overall. Almost a quarter of all nights booked through the four main platforms – Airbnb, Booking, Expedia Group and TripAdvisor – were spent in France last year.
At the other end of the scale is Prague – the number of nights spent there decreased by 52 percent compared to 2019.
Three regions in Europe welcomed more than 20 million visitors last year: Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur (Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur) in France (22 million), Andalusia in Spain (25 million) and “Jadranska Hrvatska” in Croatia (27 million) . The Jadranska Hrvatska region covers the Adriatic coast, including the popular cities of Split, Dubrovnik and Pula.
Foto: Shutterstock
The Adriatic coast has always been attractive to tourists. It has one of the most rugged coastlines with over 1,000 islands, some of the oldest beaches and cleanest bathing spots in Europe. But the explanation why Croatia takes the first place is largely related to the fact that renting private apartments and houses here is very popular, as well as, after Croatia’s recent accession to the Schengen area, traveling here has become easier, and the number of foreign tourists has increased (in addition not only from Europe, but also from other countries such as Korea, China, Australia, America, Great Britain). Well, Dubrovnik is recognized as the most visited city in Europe.
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In order to combat overtourism, Croatia is working on diversifying the offer of the tourism industry and extending the season in order to achieve a more sustainable operation of the industry in the coming years. As “Euronews” writes, it looks like the country is already moving in the right direction to achieve the desired goal – flights to and from Croatia are available for a longer period of time, mainly from April to October, encouraging foreigners to rest here outside of the peak period. Especially the capital Zagreb has become a popular vacation spot in the off-season.
2023-07-31 16:18:05
#hills #France #beaches #Croatia #shortterm #accommodation #demand
