The spatial footprint of short-term rental on islands: evidence from Cyclades, Greece

Greece is a country with numerous islands, which on the one hand have a unique landscape and, on the other hand, experience intense tourist development. The spatial planning incompetence, combined with the pressures brought about by tourism development, leads to built-up area dispersion and land use changes and conflicts. In this paper, short-term rental is examined, which, despite having a strong spatial footprint, is developing outside the framework of spatial planning. The study area is the Cyclades islands. The density of short-term rental – here expressed through Airbnb listings – and the built-up area of the islands are quantified and cartographically rendered. This results in island typologies of short-term rental intensity, which highlight the pressures faced not only by international destinations but also by smaller or less built-up islands. The need for integrated spatial planning with sustainable directions is emphasized.