AI Hunts Down Thousands of Illegal Airbnbs on Spain’s Party Island

We all knew this day would come eventually, but perhaps not quite so soon. Artificial Intelligence is now being deployed in the fight against overtourism, specifically targeting vacation rentals like Airbnb that aren’t playing by the rules. This is exactly what just happened in the Balearic Islands, particularly on Ibiza.

Spain Leads the Charge… Because It Has To

Spain remains one of the hardest-hit victims of overtourism, a phenomenon increasingly affecting destinations worldwide. The symptoms are familiar: vacation rentals multiplying like rabbits, squeezing out long-term housing options, and disrupting residents’ quality of life.

That’s why the island of Ibiza decided to bring out the big guns—or rather, the latest technology—to crack down on non-compliant rentals. Specifically, those that haven’t registered with local authorities as required by regional vacation rental legislation. Enter AI, tasked with scanning every platform offering accommodation on the Balearics’ most famous island.

The results after just a few weeks of investigation and cross-referencing data? Over 2,800 listings representing approximately 14,500 beds were deemed non-compliant and ordered off the market immediately.

This will inevitably mean fewer accommodation options for tourists hoping to experience Ibiza. But that’s not all—the same approach will be rolled out across the rest of the archipelago starting in October, beginning with neighboring Majorca. The goal, according to local authorities, is to “support the legal tourism sector while improving residents’ quality of life.”