UK tourists in France face new restrictions following a significant decision

An agreement has been made between the Senate and the Assembly regarding furnished tourist accommodation.

UK tourists have been warned about upcoming restrictions in France, with European Union holidaymakers also receiving a similar alert.

MPs and senators met in a joint committee and agreed on a version of the bill designed to better regulate the market for Airbnb-style short-term rentals. This is the final step before the bill is passed in Parliament, according to the two rapporteurs.

Mayors will now have greater power to control the number of properties available for short-term rentals and how long they can be rented out, addressing an increasingly urgent issue.

The bill is based on legislation passed by the National Assembly in January and later approved by the Senate in spring, before the Assembly was dissolved in June.

The main goal is to adjust taxation rules to discourage property owners from prioritising tourists over long-term tenants. In response, Airbnb said: "We regret the introduction of measures targeting occasional rentals that will not resolve the rental market imbalance."

The mayor of Chamonix, Eric Fournier, stated: "We have families and young people who can no longer settle here or stay." He welcomed the changes, including the option to set quotas for short-term rentals in tourist-heavy areas.

Mr Fournier added: "This bill helps create a better balance between the tourist population and permanent residents." In Marseille, almost 13,000 properties were rented out for short-term stays in 2023—a 45% increase from 2022, according to Connexion France.

Next year, Rome and Vatican City are set to host the Holy Year Jubilee, an event expected to draw around 30 million visitors, putting additional strain on local communities.

In Venice, protests erupted in April over the introduction of a €5 'tourist tax,' requiring short-stay visitors to pay an entry fee.

Spain is also experiencing growing unrest, with protests against the increasing impact of tourism on local communities.

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