"Sharing economy" ends on Swiss doorsteps
The Swiss are not prepared to share their home with strangers. This was the result of a representative study conducted by Homegate.ch. The survey looked specifically at the use of the community marketplace Airbnb for booking and renting out accommodation.
The majority of respondents across Switzerland cannot imagine renting out their own accommodation via the portal.
61.5 percent of the Swiss are completely satisfied with their living situation, with 19 percent of the German-speaking Swiss stating that they live in their absolute dream home. However, the Swiss do not like to share their living space. With regard to the use of Airbnb, Homegate.ch found that over 60 percent clearly disapprove of renting out their own four walls to vacation guests. Among the reasons for this rejection, the unwillingness to let strangers into their own four walls ranked first (66.6 percent DCH / 46.2 percent FCH). In second place, lack of space was cited as the main obstacle (30.7% DCH / 32.8% FCH). The additional contribution to their own rental costs resulting from subletting does not appear to be an incentive either, as 74% of Swiss people consider the amount of their rent to be justified.
New York, Paris, Berlin
The Swiss are also extremely reluctant to use Airbnb for their own vacation rentals. This is despite the fact that around 52% of respondents in Switzerland are very familiar with the portal. It is striking that Airbnb is hardly known, especially in Ticino: Only 14.5 percent of people in Ticino say they have heard of it. Across Switzerland as a whole, only around 5 percent of respondents have already booked accommodation through Airbnb and had a good experience with it. The good price/performance ratio for attractive properties from friendly landlords is particularly appreciated. Among the overnight stays booked via Airbnb, New York, Paris and Berlin are very popular. "Despite the global trend towards the sharing economy, a different mentality seems to prevail here in Switzerland when it comes to privacy," says Daniel Bruckhoff, media spokesperson for Homegate.ch.
About the Homegate.ch theme study May 2015
Method: Online survey in the representative Tamedia panels managed by LINK in German- and French-speaking Switzerland and Ticino
Population: 15-74-year-olds who use the Internet at least once a week.
