2024-07-10 09:44:00
The first reactions to the provisions of the new Special Spatial Framework for Tourism (SSP-T), such as those for short-term rental accommodation like Airbnb, are expressed by hoteliers and tourism operators.
Although they note how both the framework and the Strategic Environmental Impact Study move in the positive direction for tourism, they nevertheless find murky spots in the text that has been put out for public consultation.
The provisions for Airbnb
Factors in the sector proceeded with a first evaluation of the texts. A comprehensive assessment and formulation of specific observations by the tourism operators are not expected before a few days have passed as an in-depth study is required as is typically mentioned.
However, there are some points which have “attracted” the attention of experts from the tourism market side. These are points concerning how short-term rental accommodation such as Airbnb is treated, how the “beds per area” criterion is defined and finally how citizens’ residences are treated, mainly on the islands.
With regard to short-term rental accommodation or “sharing tourism spaces” as mentioned in the OT, the reports of the HEP-T on “a balance between classic and emerging tourism models (such as sharing tourism and tourist housing)” are not enough.
Constraction rules
They are also not covered by reports of the type “the permitted number of beds in non-main hotel accommodations that are constructed in terms of residential construction does not exceed the permitted beds in main hotel accommodations, according to the applicable general land use as the case may be.”
The wording is similar in the Strategic Environmental Impact Study where it is stated that in the “Control Areas” and “Developed Areas” restrictions are set “on the number of “sharing tourism spaces” and simple rooms for rent, as a percentage of the beds of the main tourist accommodations” .
The categorization by bed
The second issue they immediately identified is the categorization of the national space based on the index of “beds”
As stated by the EPA-T, the categorization of the national space is carried out on the basis of three criteria:
The intensity of the tourist phenomenon based on the main indicator: “beds” of tourist accommodation,
The particularities of each region and specifically the special geographical characteristics and the special conditions that certain regions have and
The necessity of developing special forms of tourism and forecasting special tourist infrastructures.
The categorization of the national space, based on the first criterion, is carried out by virtue of indicators that capture the intensity of tourism development from a spatial, socio-economic and temporal point of view. Given the diversity of forms of tourism, the number of beds in tourist accommodation is used as a basic parameter, which is in all cases the common denominator of tourist flows.
The indicators beds/area and beds per inhabitant were combined on a case-by-case basis with the qualitative data of the area so that the final categorization directly reflects the pressures on the organization of the space, the landscape and the environment.
Unclear
However, the bed index/1000 sq. the beds/area is not specified if it concerns the beds in all accommodations including shared accommodations or only hotel accommodations. This clarification is important as the beds of short-term rental accommodation have exceeded 950,000 in the country and are more than the 870,000 beds of hotels
Finally, as pointed out in the OT, the EPA-T does not refer to citizens’ residences, which is also a huge issue as the availability of housing for citizens has significantly decreased on many islands.
Source: ot.gr