Published on 23/05/2025 – 17:13 GMT+2

Planning a summer blowout? Don’t count on booking an Airbnb to host it.

The popular short-term rental platform says it is once again deploying anti-party technology to block “high-risk” bookings.

The system uses machine learning to screen guests based on warning signs, such as short stays, last-minute reservations and how far they live from the listing. If a booking is flagged, users are blocked from renting entire homes – though alternative accommodation options are suggested.

The move is part of the company’s push to “promote responsible travel and help hosts safeguard their spaces” during peak demand. Since launching a global ‘party ban’ in 2020, Airbnb says reports of disruptive events have dropped by half.

Airbnb faces a growing backlash in Europe

This is the fourth year Airbnb has used the system. In 2024, the company claims it stopped over 51,000 would-be partiers during the Memorial Day and Fourth of July weekends in the US – two of the most popular travel weekends in the country.

While Airbnb cracks down on parties, the wider impacts of short-term rentals remain under scrutiny. That is especially true in European cities where the platform is blamed for rising rents, housing shortages and neighbourhood disruption.

Czechia, for example, has introduced limits on short-term rentals like Airbnb in its city centres to cut down on noise disturbances – a move welcomed by district councillors.

Amsterdam limits property owners to 60 rental days per year, one of many efforts to address overtourism, noise pollution and housing issues before they worsen. The city also introduced a ‘Stay Away’ campaign and interactive quiz to test visitors on behavioural etiquette to clamp down on rowdy parties and noise.

But few places have made Airbnb as big of a flashpoint as Spain – especiallyBarcelona.

The Catalonian capital already required permits for tourist rentals and imposed taxes and rental limits before it set out to ban the platform entirely.

Barcelona later announced plans to eliminate all 10,000 licensed short-term rental apartments by 2028. The move was made to prioritise housing for permanent residents and reduce the kinds of disturbances that have plagued its downtown, as well as cities such as Seville and Valencia.

Spain’s central government recently upped the pressure on Airbnb, ordering65,000 holiday listings removed nationwide for failure to follow rules and regulations.

Airbnb offers other tools to prevent disruptive stays

Founded in 2007 as a peer-to-peer platform, Airbnb has grown into a globe-spanning ecosystem that rivals the hotel industry. But as the platform has boomed, it has faced pressure from cities struggling to balance tourism growth with quality of life.

Airbnb says its anti-party screening is just one element of a broader strategy to ensure responsible stays and support hosts.

The platform also uses machine learning to screen global reservations for risky bookings and offers free noise sensors, a round-the-clock safety line and a support channel for law enforcement to report concerns.

Questions remain about the efficacy of these tools, but the message is clear: if you’re planning to party, don’t expect Airbnb to roll out the welcome mat.

A magnitude 6.1 earthquake struck off the coast of Crete on Thursday, just over a week after a similar undersea tremor near the island was felt as far away as Egypt.

In February, a series of near-constant quakes were felt near the idyllic island of Santorini, which declared a state of emergency over the unusual seismic activity.

Although the earthquake off Crete prompted authorities to issue a tsunami warning and caused damage to buildings in the island’s historic port, experts say there is no evidence the recent cluster of tremors is connected or poses an unusually significant safety risk.

Rémy Bossu, Secretary-General of the European-Mediterranean Siesmological Centre, told Euronews that “everytime you go to Greece, you are going to a seismically active region.”

“The hazards are not significantly higher than they were yesterday, or in February.”

Nevertheless, tourists preparing a visit to islands in the Aegean should be prepared and read up on guidance on how best to protect themselves in the event of such tremors, which can be unsettling.

“The most likely cause of injuries is falling objects if you are inside. So you have to protect yourself by going below a table and avoiding open areas when possible,” Bossu says.

“The earthquake of such magnitude itself does not automatically injure people, but tiles from roofs or balconies might do if they collapse. So you have to know how to behave during an earthquake and above all, listen to what authorities say.”

The tsunami warning is automatically triggered in the Mediterranean in the event of an undersea earthquake that reaches magnitude 6, Bossu explains.

“Typically, for magnitude 6, you do not expect a large tsunami. For this level, what is advised is not to go into harbours because it can create a whirlpool and not go on the beach because you may have some rise in sea levels.”

Unusual seismic activity in Santorini

Thursday’s tremor was felt extensively throughout islands across the Aegean Sea and in parts of the Greek capital of Athens.

Residents of the island told Greek daily Ethnos that they awoke to alarming tremors and described hearing a loud roar following the aftershocks.

The fact that it occurred in the sea meant its damage however was ultimately minimal, director of the Geodynamic Institute of the National Observatory of Athens, Vassilis Karastathis, told OPEN tv.

“I think the most likely scenario is that it will evolve exactly as it seems to evolve with a very weak post-earthquake sequence, Karastathis said, adding that seismologists in the Mediterranean country were monitoring the phenomenon.

More unusual was the earthquake near the volcanic island of Santorini in February, which experienced intense seismic activity known as an “earthquake swarm.” According to Bossu, there was a clear volcanic element to the tremors.

Thousands fled the popular holiday destination, which has since implemented measures to protect the location from a potential volcanic eruption.

Seismologist, Dr Nikolaos Melis, Director of Research at the Institute of Geodynamics, part of the National Observatory of Athens told Euronews that despite the high number of earthquakes in a short time span, researchers have no reason to believe that Greece will experience a devastatingly large earthquake anytime soon.

However such large earthquakes — such as one in Crete that killed one person in 2021 — are impossible to predict.

Sitting close to the boundary of the African and Eurasian tectonic plates the Greek islands, particularly the western Ionian islands, are sites of high seismic activity and are typically well-prepared for the dangers of aftershocks.

“For people who are not aware it can be frightening, and whilst it is not impossible for a big earthquake, most buildings and hotels follow a strict building code that protects them from damages,” Melis says.

“Greece has got the highest seismic activity in Europe and next to Turkey we have two countries with very high activity. But as I said, the big magnitudes, the catastrophic magnitudes, are very rare.”

A group of consumer organisations has asked national consumer watchdogs and the European Commission to conduct an inquiry into what they allege are unfair hand luggage charges imposed by budget airlines.

It comes just months after Spain fined five low-cost carriers for the same reason.

The latest complaint claims the baggage fees are in violation of EU consumer protection laws.

Agustín Reyna, Director General of the European Consumer Organisation (BEUC), said the airlines are “exploiting consumers and ignoring the EU top court”.

Hand luggage fees ‘violate EU consumer protection laws’

The coalition of 15 consumer rights organisations from around Europe has filed the complaint against what they say are abusive and illegal luggage fees levied by low-cost airlines.

The seven carriers targeted are EasyJet, Norwegian Air Shuttle, Ryanair, Transavia, Volotea, Vueling, and Wizz Air.

“Today we are taking action against seven airlines who are exploiting consumers and are ignoring the EU top court who ruled that charging reasonably sized hand baggage is illegal,” said Reyna.

The consumer groups argue that the fees for hand luggage contravene a ruling from more than a decade ago by the European Court of Justice.

“In 2014, the European Court of Justice ruled that the carriage of hand luggage cannot be subject to a surcharge, provided that it meets reasonable requirements in terms of weight and dimensions and complies with the applicable safety requirements,” they said.

The named low-cost carriers levy extra charges for luggage they claim is “oversized” but which should come under the size and weight measurements considered “reasonable” by the EU, the consumer groups say.

Differing hand luggage policies are confusing for consumers

BEUC says that airlines’ disregard of this legal obligation has resulted in confusing and inconsistent practices across the EU.

It argues that current discrepancies in companies’ hand luggage policies make it difficult for consumers to compare prices or make informed economic decisions.

The complaint comes months after Spanish authorities fined five of the same airlines (excluding Wizz Air and Transavia) €179 million for “abusive practices” including passenger fees for hand luggage.

Ryanair was handed the steepest fine at €107 million, followed by Vueling with €39 million, and EasyJet at €29 million.

Wizz Air charges the most for ‘hidden fees’

Recently, financial news site Tradingpedia delved into the myriad hidden fees and taxes charged by European airlines on top of the basic air fare.

Their report found that Wizz Air tops the list with airlines’ not-so-obvious fees for a flight, charging a total of £207.93 (€245) for several optional, yet sometimes unavoidable fees such as checked baggage fees, online booking fees, and rescue fees.

Ryanair ranks second, charging its passengers £198.58 (€234) on top of the air fare for the same services. EasyJet has the third-highest fees at £180.48 (€213), followed by Vueling with £151.20 (€179).

British Airways appears to have the lowest additional fees at only £64 (€75). Norwegian has the second-lowest fees at £71.53 (€84) in total, while Jet2 charges £91.50 (€107) on average.

“Many airlines charge for services that appear optional but are often unavoidable,” the report found, “such as the so-called rescue fee for missed departure, group booking fees, and even infant charges, ranging from £25 (€29) at Ryanair and easyJet to up to £137 (€162) at Vueling.”