While many European cities such as Barcelona and Amsterdam struggle to keep their character in the face of mass tourism or ‘over-tourism,’ a majority of Brussels residents feel their city isn’t getting the attention it deserves.
That’s the conclusion of a a survey conducted by the research institute iVOX, which found that 79% welcome tourism and see it as an important source of revenue for the city. The poll covered 1,000 residents in Brussels’ 19 municipalities. Only 4% cited short-term rentals as a major concern, and only 1.1% mentioned ‘over-tourism.’
On the other hand, the survey, which was financed in part by Airbnb, did not quiet opposition to the proliferation of short-term rentals that are blamed for rising property prices and shortage of rentable apartments. Because rules for registering apartments are quite complex—a recent EU court ruling said they were ‘disproportionate’—nearly 90% of short-term rentals listed are actually illegal.
Image: Crowds at Manneken Pis (PHeymont/TravelGumbo)
