Online booking platforms continued to exceed pre-COVID levels in the European Union during the second quarter of 2023, data from Eurostat show, with reservations for short-term stays jumping 15.8% and setting new monthly records. Guests spent almost 153 million nights in short-term rental accommodation in the bloc booked via Airbnb, Booking, Expedia, or TripAdvisor, the European statistics agency said. Bookings made via the online platforms increased by nearly a fifth in April, followed by a 22.6% jump in May and an 8.4% rise in June, compared to a year earlier. Reservations in the first half of the year were 18.8% above 2022 levels and 22.6% ahead of 2019 pre-pandemic levels, the data showed.
Reuters (10/02/23) Gaëlle Sheehan