“ Your vacation, my eviction. » Seen in Lisbon recently, this graffiti caught my attention. The effects of the Airbnb phenomenon are everywhere on the planet, leading to a deterioration in the quality of life of locals through nuisances and a reduction in the rental stock. This is contradictory, since the tourist often chooses his destination for… his quality of life.
We must crack down on delinquent “hosts”, as the new Tourist Accommodation Act attempts to do, but we must also raise awareness of the uncomfortable idea that any stay outside the tourist routes has repercussions on the destination. When planning a trip, we make choices based on our emotions, or for simplicity, while sometimes harming the interests of locals. Here as elsewhere, the experience of “living like a local” advocated by platforms connecting individuals slips between the laws.
Without being restricted to renting accommodation, this trend also affects tourist activities such as a city tour with a “guide” (without a license) or a culinary activity (without respecting requirements on food, hygiene and safety). healthiness). Not only citizens, but also businesses, workers, consumers and governments lose out.
Sustainable tourism is not just an ecological principle; it also includes the social and economic contribution. We must therefore encourage and promote local tourism businesses, no less authentic than private offers, and which are within the ambit of laws protecting the public and workers. Because these companies must pay taxes, respect labor standards, the building code and its regulations, fire safety standards; they are aware of the need to make their establishments accessible for people with disabilities, and are aware of linguistic issues; they are subject to different permits, for example for alcohol, food or occupation of the territory. These laws and regulations reflect our national identity; they must mark the tourist experience.
The worrying phenomenon of overtourism has firmly established the idea that being a tourist is not a role to embrace. Driven by his quest for authenticity, the traveler wants to show that he belongs to the destination. He’s not just opportunistic! In the process, it is the “traditional” tourist ecosystem which is accused of being less authentic than private offers. Are we forgetting that the local tourist experience is just a trend, a marketing invention whose main goal is to sell?
On Airbnb, the “host”, personified by his name and his biography, gives us the good conscience of helping a person with whom we identify, a sincere person with his little business without pretention. These hosts are often, behind the image, companies. Playing on our emotions is the strength of this blinding message created by Airbnb, which is first and foremost a multinational whose market capitalization is worth tens of billions.
If we must crack down on delinquent hosts here in the country, we must also raise awareness among users of these platforms and take collective responsibility. Traveling takes us into a space-time on the fringes of our reality, splitting the continuum of our lives. A space-time where everything is less serious, where values are less strictly followed because “it’s only for a while”, because we don’t inform ourselves about customs and laws, because we feels incognito.
No matter the reason for the trip, it is accompanied by this irresistible experience of freedom, carefreeness and lightness. Let us become aware of our temporary unconsciousness and remember that the tourist destination and its ecosystem are not inexhaustible resources.