Another European city is cracking down on short-term holiday rentals in a bid to to curb overtourism.
Bruges in Belgium is a UNESCO World Heritage City treasured for its cobbled streets, quaint canals and medieval buildings.
But its postcard-perfect scenery has left it victim to overtourism. A record of more than 8.3 million people visited Bruges – a city of less than 120,000 residents – in 2023.
Now, locals have had enough
“People have started indicating that there are just too many visitors,” Bruges Mayor Dirk De fauw told The Brussels Times in August. “If we just let everyone do what they want, things will quickly go wrong.”
As part of the solution, the city has implemented a ban on the construction of new hotels in its historic centre. It has also stopped issuing new holiday home permits across the entire city.
Why is Bruges cracking down on short-term holiday rentals?
Although Bruges’s plans aren’t as extreme as those of Barcelona, which earlier this summer announced a citywide ban on short-term rentals by 2029, they are a step towards controlling overtourism.
It is hoped the new restrictions will help to restore balance between tourists and residents in the beautiful/charming but crowded city.
However, some experts point out that a crackdown on Airbnb-style accommodation won’t solve the city’s day-tripper problem.
“Bruges, much like Venice, is a city closely tied to its harbour, attracting a large number of day-trippers,” says Bart-Jan Leyts, founder and CEO of property ranking platform Otamiser, who grew up in the city.
