When tourists rent a vacation rental, whether in a hotel, campsite, or guest house, they are required to pay tourist tax. The latter allows local authorities to develop their tourism opportunities. On January 19, 2024, Airbnb, the peer-to-peer rental platform, released its statistics regarding this tax. Compared to 2022, the figure increased by 25% and included many other municipalities, thus taking place throughout France.
187 million euros for 24,500 municipalities!
In 2023, tourist tax revenue paid by Airbnb increased by 25% compared to the previous year. This benefited more than 24,500 municipalities, according to Le Figaro. It is mainly the big cities considered tourist centers that have benefited from the largest share of this tax, like the capital Paris. According to the platform, tourist demand continues to grow, especially due to the increase in international travel and major events in these major cities.
According to the same source, 1,600 other municipalities were added to the list of beneficiaries this year. There are 250 of them that have received an amount of 100,000 euros, such as Bresse in the Vosges, Burke in Pas-de-Calais, etc. Certainly, these are small towns that do not exceed 20,000 inhabitants, but after the Covid pandemic, travel trends have changed, thus favoring small towns. ” Provision of new tools through the platform to stimulate the spread of tourism », has also contributed to this new trend, Airbnb explains in its press release.
Airbnb congratulates itself on feat, UMIH criticizes!
Airbnb congratulated itself on the achievement and suggested that this increase in the amount of tax paid to local authorities contributes to the promotion and development of tourism in these cities: “ This (financial) disadvantage for communities is the result of the exceptional welcome offered by our local hosts, and the existence of a proportionate national regulatory framework, which has enabled the sustainable development of seasonal rentals throughout the country, benefiting the economy and increasing attractiveness. from many regions », declares Lament Eulry, Director of France and Belgium of Airbnb.
On the other hand, Gerard de Porter, president of the UMIH (Union of Hotel Trades and Industries) in the Lille metropole, was keen to add some nuance to this feat as unfair compared to the rules imposed on “classic” hoteliers. This platform.
According to him, this platform approach can encourage illegal practices. ” We have nothing against Airbnb, what we want is for the platform to be subject to the same tax and health and safety obligations as us, emphasizing that tourist tax is made on a declarative basis upon request. City Hall. We can’t verify which owner discloses and which owner doesn’t disclose… which leads to a form of illegal trading. » he declares.
