EIJC19 & Dataharvest

Many of us like indeed to "book unique homes and experiences", as Airbnb's tag line says, and there's no denying that Airbnb has made life easier and cheaper for many travellers and for those willing to rent out their spare room. Yet, it has also created incentives for landlords to only rent out their property to tourists – and sometimes without having the needed licence or paying the required taxes. Airbnb also creates incentives for big landlords (investment funds, other companies, wealthy individuals...) to amass apartments to serve the tourist market. All that is limiting the housing options for residents and distorting rental markets across many European cities, where people are suffering the effects of 'airification' and 'touristification. In this session, we will hear from journalists who've been reporting on the impact of Airbnb in cities Greece and Portugal.