Home swapping as a form of tourism has been around for some thirty years but is said to have been gaining ground as a result of the pandemic and because of inflation and greater awareness of sustainable tourism.
Growth in the Balearics for this summer has been around 25% compared with last year, a total of 1,896 home swaps. HomeExchange is the leading platform on the market. Its members pay a fixed fee of €175 per year to list their homes. This entitles them to unlimited exchanges.
Pilar Manrique, spokesperson for HomeExchange, says the pandemic shifted accommodation preferences because of the need for social distancing. Inflation and a general rise in the cost of holidays have prompted a search for more affordable alternatives. And home swapping reduces the impact of the tourism footprint. Unlike holiday rentals, it doesn't have negative connotations, e.g. for housing.
Although there is no commercialisation as such, it is still a tourism activity and therefore has an impact in respect of tourist numbers. Manrique doesn't deny this. "We are aware that we are a tourism player and that we have some responsibility for the impact, but it is a more sustainable form of tourism that we believe can play a relevant role in the future of the sector."
In the overall scheme of things, the scale is minimal - 113,000 overnight stays this year in the Balearics compared to 35 million in hotels. But there are clear advantages - avoiding increasing hotel prices is one of these.
Manrique points to a positive effect, longer stays. The average is 17 days, three times more than the average for hotels stays. This in turn can be positive for the non-hotel complementary sector. "By removing the cost of accommodation from the equation, you can afford to stay longer and spend more on activities and eating out."