The number of nights in short-term rentals booked via online platforms such as Airbnb and Booking keeps surging in Europe, with the total reaching 854 million in 2024, according to data published by the EU statistical office Eurostat.
In the Netherlands, the number passed the 11 million mark for the first time, up from 10 million in 2023, and well above the pre-pandemic level of 9.4 million in 2019.
The figures, which are collected from the four main platforms – Airbnb, Booking, Expedia and Tripadvisor – only account for short-term rentals and exclude hotels or campsites.
In Amsterdam, which adopted strict policies to limit short-term rentals, including a “stay away” campaign, the number of guest nights has dropped significantly, from 2.5 million in 2019 to 1.4 million in 2024.
A decline was also recorded in The Hague, while overnight stays in Utrecht were stable. But Eurostat recorded strong growth in Zeeland, parts of Noord-Holland, the Veluwe heathland region and northern parts of Friesland – all of which are popular destinations with locals as well as foreign visitors.
France recorded the highest number of guest nights (192 million) booked last year, followed by Spain (171 million) and Italy.
Among European cities, Paris remained the most popular, with 23.5 million guest nights booked in 2024, followed by Rome (15.7 million), Barcelona (12.5 million), Madrid (11.8 million) and Lisbon (11.3 million).
Overall, more than a third of guest nights were concentrated in July and August, and the quietest months were January, February and November. Only in Finland July and December were the busiest periods.
Across Europe 531 million nights (62%) were booked by tourists from another country, a proportion that reached 75% in the Netherlands.