While the debate surrounding overtourism rages across Europe, one French mayor has announced a novel plan to tackle the problem.

In Marseille, says he wants to make landlords who rent properties on Airbnb ‘buy back’ another property to put up for long-term rental to increase housing supply.

Speaking to the franceinfo radio station, Payan claimed that up to 75 per cent of property developers in the city were “not from Marseille”. He also suggested that the majority were renting out their properties using short-term rental sites, including Airbnb.

“I’m going to oblige anyone who wants to [rent out a property on] Airbnb to buy an apartment and put it up for long-term rental,” he said.

“I’m going to use everything the law allows me as a weapon… It’s going to make them stop wanting to make money off the people of Marseille.”

It’s not the first time the mayor of France’s second largest city has made his feelings on Airbnbs clear.

What is Benoît Payan’s plan to combat overtourism in Marseille?

Payan previously told Maritima radio that he wanted to “prohibit people whose second homes should be used for normal rentals from putting their accommodation on Airbnb”.

Currently, people in Marseille who want to rent out a second home on Airbnb must request authorisation for a change of use from the town hall, before being legally allowed to do so.

Payan claims that, before he became mayor in 2020, “four per cent of requests were refused”. Today, he says, that figure is 82 per cent.

“In Marseille, there will be the strictest and strongest regulations in France to fight against Airbnb,” Payan insisted to Maritima.

Along with Paris, Marseille has set up a so-called ‘Airbnb brigade’, which works to identify illegal listings.

All of France has strict rules on Airbnb rentals, but local authorities are also able to impose their own rules if they wish.

In recent years, an increasing number of mayors and local governments are choosing to do just that, in order to battle housing shortages and crack down on overtourism.

The French capital famously fought a long legal battle with Airbnb, which resulted in a ruling from the European Court of Justice which requires local authorisation for short-term property rentals.

In Paris, any rental of second homes on Airbnb is now prohibited, and all owners are limited on the number of days they are allowed to rent out their main home on the platform.

On top of those regulations, any property owners – French or otherwise – renting out their property in France via Airbnb must declare their income to French tax authorities.

Airbnb itself also provides details of all yearly rentals to the French tax office, meaning renting out property in the country is rather less appealing than it has been in the past.

If you’ve searched for a Eurostar train between the UK and its hubs in mainland Europe, you might have noticed that prices are not cheap..

Fares from London to Paris, Lille, Brussels and Amsterdam can often cost upwards of €200 each way, especially at late notice.

That means that more people are opting to fly – a far less climate-friendly option – as budget airlines offer trips for significantly less and with more frequency.

In a bid to attract more customers, Eurostar has brought back a concept which last ran on-and-off from 2016 to 2019 – ‘Snap’ tickets.

It’s a scheme which will make sure trains are fuller, without pushing existing customers off the services.

Passengers who are able to travel last minute will benefit from significantly reduced fares. Currently, a return from London St Pancras to Paris Gare du Nord at the end of October will cost from £90 (€108), as opposed to £378 (€455), if you were to travel to the French capital this weekend.

“Snap has been a customer favourite, and we’re thrilled to bring it back year-round, offering a smart solution for travellers who can be flexible with their schedules,” François Le Doze, chief commercial officer at Eurostar, said.

“It’s a smart way to travel, ensuring no seat goes unused – a win for our customers, a win for Eurostar, and a win for the planet.”

What are the conditions for using Eurostar Snap?

With such relatively low fares, Snap unsurprisingly comes with strings attached.

While passengers are able to choose specific days of travel, they’ll only find out 48 hours before departure exactly which train they’re booked on.

That means you could be travelling any time between 05:40 am and 20:40 pm, meaning day trips are probably not feasible.

Snap trains can only be booked from 14 days before travel and up to the day before you leave, so that rather excludes people who like to book trips far in advance.

If you’re the kind of traveller that needs to be with your group, this scheme might not be for you, as Eurostar warns that groups may find their seats split up.

There’s also very little flexibility with Snap.

“Just so you know, once you’ve booked with Eurostar Snap, you won’t be able to exchange your ticket, cancel it or transfer any of the tickets to anyone else if one of your friends can no longer make it,” a statement on the website says.

In the 2016 to 2019 iteration of Snap, passengers could choose between morning and afternoon/evening departures, which is not possible now.

One-way fares were also as low as £19 (€23) one way – half what the lowest ticket will set you back now.

Eurostar prices are in general more expensive than they were pre-pandemic, though, and the company’s promise that “up to 50 per cent off the price of a standard ticket when booked a week before departure” holds up in the current financial climate.

There is one significant improvement on the 2016 to 2019 version of Snap.

The current scheme extends to Amsterdam – on the outward leg at least.

Eurostar’s current operating system means that, on your return from the Dutch capital, you’ll have to change trains in Brussels – although that applies for all bookings, not just those made via Snap.

Prague is banning organised bar crawls in its ongoing mission to crack down on rowdy tourists.

The Czech capital will no longer allow guided bar-hopping to take place between 10pm and 6am, local officials announced on Monday.

The move is likely to be a major blow to tour operators who rely on Prague’s reputation as a party city, including one that claimed to offer ‘Europe’s biggest pub crawl’.

It is hoped the ban will reduce nighttime disturbance, contribute to cleaner streets and improve the city’s reputation among locals, tourists and investors, Czech news agency České Noviny reports.

The news comes just weeks after the Czech government announced plans to clamp down on short-term holiday rentals to curb high rent prices and housing shortages in tourist hotspots.

Czechia’s tourist crackdown extends to Airbnb-style rentals

Following the lead of cities like London, Dublin, Amsterdam and Paris, Czechia is restricting Airbnb-style rentals.

A draft bill approved by the Czech government in August would allow municipalities and cities to limit the amount of Airbnb-style accommodation available.

It is hoped the move will bring down real estate prices and ensure residents are not forced out by tourists in popular cities like Prague.

This could include capping the number of days a property can be rented out per year, as well as defining a minimum amount of space required per guest.

It would also place stricter regulations and relevant local taxes on guesthouses, Airbnbs and other holiday rentals, bringing their obligations in line with traditional hotels.

Property owners would be required to register accommodation and guest details via a new platform called eTurista. A registration number for the property will be provided, which must be displayed on accommodation listings.

If approved, it is hoped the new system will help to increase oversight of short-term rentals, many of which currently operate in a grey area.

Currently, officials estimate that between 40 to 70 per cent of stays via online platforms are not reported, which could lead to almost €32 million in lost taxes annually.

The new rules could come into force in July 2025.

How else is Prague cracking down on tourists?

As well as keeping tabs on rental accommodation, the new rules intend to limit the number of tourist apartments in city centres – reducing noise disturbance in the process.

In Prague in particular, rowdy tourists are driving locals out of the capital’s historic Old Town. The Airbnb crackdown has therefore been welcomed by district councillors.

It won’t be their first attempt to rein in noisy visitors. Earlier this year, one district council proposed a ban on outlandish costumes worn by stag and hen parties, which it said encourage drunk and rowdy behaviour in Prague’s popular nightlife district.

Some councillors suggested that “socially unacceptable” attire was contributing to nighttime noise and unruliness, particularly on organised pub crawls.

A previous plea by the city district to limit business opening hours in the city centre was rejected last year.

However, a ban on cars entering part of the Old Town at night was approved in July to reduce noise in the area. It prevents vehicles from entering the historic district between 10pm and 6am.