Data-led Planning Could Prevent Overtourism, Research Finds

5/12/2025

A report from hospitality consultancy Horwath HTL and short-term rental analytics platform AllTheRooms has found that data-led planning could help destinations prevent overtourism. The research showed that the European short-term rental market has grown rapidly in the wake of the pandemic, with gross revenue increasing 72% from €11.8 billion in 2019 to €20.3 billion in 2023. The study said the growth in travel had placed new pressure on popular destinations, with many governments responding through blanket bans, caps, or licensing schemes. But the authors warned that fragmented legislation risked doing more harm than good. Siniša Topalovic, managing partner at Horwath HTL Croatia and co-author of the report, said: “Overtourism and overcrowding are not caused by visitors alone; they’re also the result of poor planning and institutional inertia. The real failure lies not in short-term rentals, but in more than a decade of strategic inaction.”

ShortTermRentalz (05/07/25) Claudia Schergna