The European Union saw a significant uptick in bookings made through online platforms such as Airbnb, Booking, Expedia, and TripAdvisor in 2023. According to Eurostat, short-term rental accommodations recorded nearly 153 million nights in the second quarter of 2023. This marks a substantial 15.8% increase from the same period in 2022.

Eurostat's findings indicate that platform tourism in the EU has not only rebounded to pre-pandemic levels but is also setting new monthly records. The month-by-month breakdown for the second quarter is as follows:

• April: 46.7 million nights, a 19.5% increase from April 2022.

• May: 47.6 million nights, a surge of 22.6% from May 2022.

• June: 58.7 million nights, up by 8.4% from June 2022.

Cyprus, in line with this trend, also witnessed a growth in bookings through these platforms. The data shows:

• April: 331,000 bookings, up from 289,000 in 2022.

• May: 369,000 bookings, a rise from 313,000 in the previous year.

• June: 455,000 bookings, compared to 387,000 in June 2022.

In a broader perspective, the first half of 2023 saw approximately 237 million nights booked in the EU's short-term rentals through online platforms, a remarkable 18.8% increase from 2022's 199 million nights. Compared to the pre-pandemic levels of 193 million nights in 2019, there's a significant growth of 22.6%.

Furthermore, the regional data for the first quarter of 2023, collected in partnership with the European Commission from four major online platforms, is now available. This data showcased that during the initial quarter, the Alpine winter destinations were in high demand. Yet, traditional coastal holiday spots consistently remain sought-after throughout the year.

Topping the list for the most bookings in the first quarter were regions like:

• Rhône-Alpes, France: 5.2 million nights.

• Canarias, Spain: 5.0 million nights.

• Andalucía, Spain: 4.3 million nights.

• Tirol, Austria, known for winter tourism, recorded 1.9 million nights.

Among the top 20 most popular regions for short-term rentals in this quarter, France and Spain dominated with five regions each, followed by Italy and Portugal with three, Austria with two, and both Poland and Hungary having one region apiece.