European short-term rental market shows growth in 2026

Data from Eurostat reveals significant growth in the European Union's short-term rental market, facilitated by platforms such as Airbnb, Booking, and Expedia. In the second quarter of 2026, the EU recorded 258.8 million guest nights, a 5.3% increase compared to the same period in 2025 and a 23.9% increase compared to 2024.

In Greece, Attica led with 1,689,292 bookings, followed by Central Macedonia with 518,787 and Crete with 251,758. Greece saw an 8.3% increase in guest nights, ranking second in the EU for growth rate, trailing only Poland.

In Cyprus, the short-term rental market recorded 1,013,843 guest nights during the first quarter of 2026. At a regional level across the EU, the most popular destinations for online-platform rentals included Canarias and Rhone-Alpes in Spain and France, each with 8.8 million nights, followed by Andalucia in Spain with 8.3 million nights.