Hotels, short-term rentals and unrecorded tourism

Hotels and short-term rentals have different effects on employment, services, taxation, retail and housing. Sociometrica has specifically studied how accommodation models generate and distribute local wealth and has included estimates of unrecorded accommodation in its economic analyses.

Hotels or short-term rentals: which model creates more local value?

It depends on the destination’s economic structure and how spending is distributed. Hotels and short-term rentals have different effects on employment, services, taxation, retail and housing. Sociometrica’s dedicated study, Alberghi e affitti brevi: modelli di sviluppo locale a confronto, analyses how different forms of accommodation generate and distribute wealth locally.

Sources: Sociometrica — Alberghi e affitti brevi

How significant is unrecorded tourism?

It is a significant component but, by definition, difficult to measure precisely. Unregistered overnight stays, informal accommodation and incompletely observed economic activities must be considered. Sociometrica includes estimates of unrecorded activity in its tourism value calculations and has also studied unrecorded accommodation in Rome. Ignoring this component can distort comparisons between destinations and estimates of economic value.

Sources: Sociometrica — La Ricchezza dei Comuni Turistici 2025

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By Antonio Preiti and Sociometrica · The Sociometrica Method