Wednesday, January 8, 2025 The rise of holiday homes and short-term rentals is reshaping the tourism landscape across the Mediterranean, particularly in Greece and Spain . While these accommodations provide tourists with flexible and often cost-effective options, their proliferation has put significant pressure on local housing markets. In Greece, short-term rentals now outnumber hotel beds, and similar trends are being observed in Spain.
This growing imbalance is sparking concerns about affordability, availability of housing for locals, and the long-term sustainability of the tourism-dependent economies in these countries. This report examines the challenges and measures being implemented to address the impact of short-term rentals in Greece and Spain, exploring the delicate balance between fostering tourism and maintaining housing accessibility for residents. Greece has become a hotspot for short-term rentals, with approximately one million such accommodations compared to around 890,000 hotel beds.
The surge in platforms like Airbnb has made it easier for tourists to find unique, localized stays. However, this boom comes at a cost. Local residents have been priced out of their neighborhoods as property owners prioritize more lucrative short-term rentals over long-term leases.
To address these challenges, the Greek government has introduced a series of measures aimed at curbing the unchecked growth of holiday homes: To encourage property owners to shift from short-term to lo.
