Airbnb and Visit Flanders partner to support high quality short term rental
Airbnb and Visit Flanders have engaged a partnership and data sharing agreement to support quality short term rentals across the Flanders region. Data shared with Airbnb will support Tourism Flanders’ efforts to better know the local hosts community and make sure everyone meets local safety rules and quality standards.
From now on, at the request of Visit Flanders and up to 6 times per year, Airbnb agrees to share specific accommodation data about the activity of hosts in Flemish neighbourhoods, such as for major events or festivals. This includes the name and address of the accommodation, the capacity of the accommodation, and the details of the accommodation operator. On the basis of these data, Visit Flanders will be able to check on the ground whether the accommodation has been notified to Visit Flanders, is fire-safe and meets all the minimum quality and comfort standards required by the LogiesDecree.
The news comes as Airbnb is launching « The Great Rebalance of European Travel« . These are a series of agreements that Airbnb is making with various communities across Europe. The aim is to ensure that the re-launch of travel is safe, sustainable and beneficial to all – spreading economic benefits to more people and preventing the return of the overtourism phenomenon, where too much tourism is concentrated in too few places.
Emmanuel Marill, CEO of Airbnb EMEA, said, « Airbnb is committed to being a partner to local governments and supporting their work to ensure that everyone plays by the rules and shares their home responsibly. Our data shows that travellers are starting to come back to Belgium and with this groundbreaking collaboration, Airbnb and Toerisme Vlaanderen will be at the heart of the healthy recovery of tourism in Flanders. »
« With this collaboration, we are taking another important step towards a level playing field for all tourism accommodation entrepreneurs and hosts in Flanders. », says Flemish Minister of Tourism Zuhal Demir. « Tourism and the rental of tourist accommodation are necessary for economic recovery, because they are a source of income for both local businesses and residents. «
« This also fits perfectly with the ‘Journeys to Tomorrow’ strategy of Visit Flanders, in which we strive for a healthy balance between visitors, residents and entrepreneurs, and always with respect for the “soul” of the place », says Peter De Wilde, CEO of Visit Flanders. « Thanks to this constructive cooperation and sharing of data, Visit Flanders will be able to even better assure visitors from Belgium and abroad that Flanders is a quality destination to visit.«