In France, the resistance to Airbnb as Olympic sponsor increases. The French hotel association Union des Metiers et de l’Industrie de l’Hotellerie (UMIH) said yesterday evening that it is protesting against the US accommodation exchange platform and its participation in the preparations for the 2024 Summer Games in Paris. According to the Paris organizers, more than 40,000 hotel rooms are already reserved through the association.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) presented Airbnb as a new sponsor on Monday, until the 2028 Summer Games in Los Angeles. At the Games 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, the company was already a partner of the local organizing committee.
France one of the biggest markets for Airbnb
UMIH called this at his annual meeting in the seaside resort Biarritz „outrageous“. „The hoteliers suspended their participation in the organization of the Olympic Games 2024,“ it says in a UMIH statement. Airbnb does not meet the same security and service standards as hotels, said federation president, President Roland Heguy.
France is one of the largest markets for Airbnb in Europe. But the capital city of Paris has imposed strict conditions – for example, the maximum rental period for an apartment may not exceed 120 days per year. „Airbnb is a factor that contributes to the increase in rental rates and exacerbates the shortage of housing in the rental market,“ warned Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo in advance of IOC President Thomas Bach.
The IOC president said on Monday that the partnership with Airbnb would help provide flats and reduce costs for the Olympic organizers and partners.
