The Spanish Tourist Office UK has welcomed Airbnb’s efforts to remove illegal listings in Ibiza and hailed wider progress on supporting local communities across the country amid frustrations with high rental costs.
Ibiza’s council signed an agreement with Airbnb last month through which the short-term letting platform committed to ramping up the removal of accommodation listings that breach local regulations.
About 300 properties are understood to have been taken down from the platform so far, with The Independent reporting that the council’s president thanked Airbnb for its collaboration and described the agreement as a milestone in the “relentless fight” against the island’s unregulated tourist accommodation supply.
Illegal tourist accommodation in Ibiza includes ‘multi-family homes’ such as flats, rooms inside apartments and homes with multiple occupancy, camping outside campsites, and those that are not registered and authorised by the council.
Manuel Butler, the director of the Spanish Tourist Office in the UK, said: “It is encouraging to see Ibiza taking a critical step towards protecting local communities and affordable accommodation, by tackling illegal advertising of unlicensed holiday rentals in partnership with the private sector.”
Over the past year, protestors in Spain have held demonstrations voicing opposition to overtourism and its consequences including higher rental prices.
Butler said the Balearic Islands had been at the forefront of the country’s attempts to address illegal accommodation, pointing to Majorca as leading the way.
He said the island was the first destination to ban almost all short-term rentals of private homes in apartment buildings and noted that a freeze had been introduced on the creation of new tourist rentals in Palma.
“We are pleased to see other islands following their lead,” he said.
He added: “Spain is proud to be the number one destination choice for British holidaymakers.
“However, in order to continue ensuring a warm welcome and unforgettable holiday for tourists, local governments need to protect the quality of life for local residents so that the relationship between visitor and host is mutually beneficial.
“Social sustainability is at the heart of new regulations for tourism accommodation being introduced by local governments across Spain.
Ibiza picture: Shutterstock/Artyart