Greece Among 8 Most Popular EU Destinations for Short-Term Rentals in Summer 2024

Photo source: Airbnb

Greece has solidified its place as one of the top 8 most popular destinations in the European Union for short-term rentals, reflecting a growing trend in platform-based tourism, according to Eurostat.

The country’s strong performance in the summer of 2024 is part of a broader surge across Europe, with short-term rental bookings rising sharply in the third quarter of the year.

According to the EU’s statistical authority, the European Union saw an 18 percent year-on-year increase in bookings via platforms like Airbnb, Booking.com, and Expedia, with Greece recording a 14.3 percent rise in overnight stays compared to 2023.

Quarterly guest nights in the EU, Q4/2023 – Q3/2024, million nights, % change compared with previous year’s quarter. Source: Eurostat tour_ce_omr

A surge across Europe

In the third quarter of 2024, short-term rental bookings across the EU reached 366.2 million overnight stays, with Greece contributing to the overall increase. The country recorded 26.1 million overnight stays during the July-September quarter, a notable 14.3 percent rise over the previous year.

The highest growth rates in the EU were observed in Malta (+40.9 percent), Germany (+26 percent), and Sweden (+24.6 percent). France, Spain, and Italy also experienced significant increases, with growth rates of 23.8 percent, 20.2 percent, and 15.5 percent, respectively.

Strong performance in summer months

The third quarter of 2024 saw strong growth in the EU across all three summer months:

July 2024: 135 million overnight stays, up 16.4 percent compared to July 2023.
August 2024: 152.2 million overnight stays, a 21.6 percent increase year-on-year.
September 2024: 79 million overnight stays, up 14 percent from the previous year.

August

Malta led the EU in August with a 41.4 percent increase in overnight stays compared to August 2023, followed by Germany (+32.7 percent) and France (+29.9 percent). Smaller increases were recorded in Croatia (+9.7 percent), Bulgaria (+12.2 percent), and Slovenia (+13.6 percent).

August, traditionally the peak tourist month in Europe, saw a 16 percent increase in overnight stays in Greece, further solidifying its appeal as a key summer destination.

Greece among the EU’s top short-term rental hotspots

Q3 Guest nights by country, 2018-2024, (most popular countries). Source: Eurostat tour_ce_omr

Greece’s growth in short-term rentals is part of a broader upward trend across the continent. The country is now one of the top 8 destinations in the EU for short-term rentals, joining the ranks of France, Spain, Italy, Croatia, Germany, Portugal, and Poland.

Eurostat noted that the popularity of platform-based tourism in these eight countries benefited from the overall growth of the sector, with all seeing a rise in guest nights compared to 2023 and surpassing pre-pandemic levels.