With much of Europe setting off on a well-deserved summer break, new analysis from holiday rental firm Interhome has found that bookings of sustainable holiday homes have more than doubled in several key markets.
The analysis, which was based on arrival dates for stays between June and September in Switzerland, France, Germany, Italy and Spain, found that sustainable summer bookings more than doubled between 2020 and 2025.
Within Interhome’s summer booking mix, the share increased from 16.7% to 29.5%, a gain of 12.8 percentage points, over the same period, the company noted.
‘Investing in sustainability’
“The analysis clearly shows that more and more property owners are investing in the sustainability of their holiday properties, whether by adding an EV charging station to increase guest appeal or by using photovoltaic systems, energy-efficient kitchen appliances and water-saving fittings to reduce ongoing operating costs,” commented Saskia Weber, Director of Sustainability at Interhome.
“As a result of these efforts by our property owners, the number of sustainable properties in Interhome’s portfolio continues to grow, as does their share of summer bookings.”
On a country-by-country basis, Italy recorded the highest proportion of sustainable bookings last year, with environmentally certified or equipped properties accounting for 40.1% of summer bookings. Germany followed with 36.1%, ahead of Switzerland at 35.9%, while Spain recorded 29.3% and France 16.1%, the data showed.
In terms of the type of features being introduced by property owners, recycling facilities showed the largest increase across all five markets, while EV charging points recorded the strongest growth in France and Switzerland. Solar panels saw the most significant increase in significantly in Italy and Spain.
The study assessed criteria such as renewable energy use, energy-efficient heating and lighting, water-saving fixtures, double glazing, reduced use of disposable products and proximity to public transport.
Data-based insight
“Our ambition is not only to respond to change in the holiday-home market, but to help shape it,” said Jörg Herrmann, CEO of Interhome. “That is why we are launching this series: to contribute regular, data-based insight that supports a more informed discussion around the future of sustainable holiday-home management and travel.”
Interhome operates a portfolio of more than 70,000 holiday properties in over 20 European countries. Read more here.
