The Guardian – From Berlin to Barcelona; will Airbnb ruin our most loved cities?

June 25, 2016
It is a truly global phenomenon. Yet, just as Uber’s attempts to shake up the taxi market has met resistance, Airbnb finds itself a victim of its own success as cities and countries wake up to the fact that the cute new kid on the block has been transformed into an 800lb gorilla. The latest salvo was fired last week when Mark Tanzer, chief executive of the Association of British Travel Agents, warned that the popularity of companies such as Airbnb was leading to such an influx of visitors that there was a danger that some of Europe’s most attractive historic cities would be ruined. “If they can’t get around the city you are going to lose value from tourism, even if the numbers are going up,” he said. “Overcrowding in key destinations is becoming a pressing issue. Without controls, we know tourism can kill tourism.”…
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/jun/25/from-berlin-to-barcelona-will-airbnb-ruin-our-most-loved-cities