According to the latest survey by Airbnb, Airbnb Athens rentals are in the 5th spot in demand among the top European destinations for the Christmas holidays.
The findings showed the Greek capital recording a 31% rise in demand on a year-on-year basis for short-term bookings, with Bucharest taking top spot with a 46% increase in 2024 compared to the Christmas season last year.
Poland’s capital Krakow took second spot with a 45% rise in demand, followed by Paris at 36%, while Bucharest came in ahead of Athens with 33% demand.
According to AirDNA, short-term rental demand in Europe continued to record solid figures, with the growth expected to extend beyond December, while the current data marks a 19% year-on-year demand increase for December, which tapers to 17% for January and 7% for February.
Regarding city preferences, Krakow leads with 45% demand, followed by Paris at 36%, and Budapest in fourth place at 33%.
Among the 20 leading European countries for Airbnb-style accommodations, 19 recorded increased occupancy last month. Driven by travelers chasing the last rays of Mediterranean sunshine, Greece, Spain, and Croatia saw occupancy rise by more than 6%. Greece led the pack with a +6.7% increase, followed by Spain at +6.3% and Croatia at +6.0%, according to AirDNA.
Price Trends and Luxury Apartments
The high occupancy levels allowed hosts in Spain to avoid significant price reductions. Last year, the average daily rate (ADR) in September was 12.5% lower than in August and dropped another 6% from September to October. This year, the ADR was only 10.3% lower in September than in August, with a modest 4.5% dip from September to October.
A similar trend was observed in Greece, where prices fell by 25% from August to October this year, compared to a sharper 29% decline in 2023. The stronger intermediate-season occupancy granted hosts greater pricing power. Spain and Greece exemplified how robust demand stabilized prices during the transition from summer to fall, avoiding the steeper drops seen in 2023.
