Rick Steves On Why You Should Reconsider Booking An Airbnb
By Nicole Cord-Cruz
VACATIONS
Travel guru Rick Steves knows about the convenience Airbnb offers, but he also acknowledges that the app's popularity adversely impacts housing markets and communities.
In a video, Steves said, "[Airbnb] causes the traditional people, the fabric of the community, to move out and it becomes really a vacation destination without that community."
Steves noted that in places like Piazza dell'Anfiteatro in Italy, businesses and landlords are encouraged to accommodate tourists instead of locals due to the financial incentive.
"Consequently, the rent goes way up. It drives most of the locals out and it changes the personality of this neighborhood," he explained in another YouTube video.
Instead of Airbnb, consider small hotels and bed and breakfasts instead. Steves noted that they are usually cheaper and offer a more culturally authentic experience.
"A B&B offers double the warmth and cultural intimacy for half the price of a hotel," he told The Los Angeles Times. He also recommends hostel beds if your priority is to save.