Airbnb, often accused of aggravating the shortage of housing in metropolises like Berlin, Barcelona or Paris, seeks to convince that it has a positive impact on communities. This Tuesday, the platform published a report on its contributions in the Swiss economy. More than two million travelers stayed in Switzerland via Airbnb last year. This has generated more than a billion francs of added value to the economy, according to the company. Still according to her, this activity would have supported around 10,000 jobs, especially in catering, and made it possible to generate nearly 250 million francs in tax revenue.
Housing rented more than 90 days a year on its platform represent only 0.14% of the national housing stock, 0.4% in Geneva and 0.27% in Zurich. The majority of hosts are individuals, often absent from their home. The latter would have won an average of 4,000 francs over the entire year 2024. An income that 36% of them say essential to keep their accommodation.
Contacted, Hotelleriesuisse is prudent in the face of Airbnb figures, which she does not wish to comment. The ridge recalls its position, however: platforms like Airbnb can complete the hotel offer during major events, but are a problem in the absence of reliable data. The organization claims a national organization which would give access to controlled data (see box) and calls on fair play rules, in particular on the collection of residence taxes. For its part, Airbnb says it wants to cooperate with Swiss cities to develop “fair and proportionate” rules.
Prayed to act, Bern says no
The National Councilor Jacqueline de Quattro (PLR/VD) filed, last September, a motion to the national council to better supervise the short -term rentals. She asked the Confederation to create a national database in order to better measure the impact of platforms like Airbnb and Homeaway on the housing market. But the Federal Council has opposed it, believing that the question falls under the cantons and that sufficient measurement tools already exist in the country.
