Quiet Village in North Wales Transformed by Tourists, Locals Blame Airbnb
Furious residents in Llanberis, a tranquil village at the base of Mount Snowdon, are pointing fingers at Airbnb, accusing the company of changing the face of their Welsh town.
In this picturesque village that attracts climbers, walkers, runners, and nature enthusiasts to its serene lakes of Llyn Peris and Llyn Padarn, a sticker proclaiming “Death to Airbnb” and a noose around the company’s logo have surfaced.
Rowdy Parties and Friction
Locals are expressing their discontent, citing an influx of Airbnb guests leading to “rowdy parties” and occasional street fights. One memorable incident involved a woman dressed as Ginger Spice getting into a heated altercation with another local.
Some residents have humorously labeled their Snowdonia haven as the “Magaluf of North Wales” due to sightings of young women in thongs making unusual trips to buy fish and chips.
Despite the village having just 2,000 residents, it welcomes approximately 700,000 visitors annually, driving up the demand for accommodation.
Sheds Turned into Homes
A few enterprising locals have even transformed their garden sheds into lodging options for tourists. Others, however, are at wit’s end and have chosen to leave the village altogether.
Andrew Owen, a father of four, expressed his concern: “The number of Airbnb’s is killing the village. There are just too many of them. There’s parties and there has even been fights in the village after people have drunk too much.”
He added, “There’s little affordable housing here now. I’m worried my kids won’t be able to find anywhere to live and will have to move away. It all chips away, and young families have to move as landlords sell up, and then the schools become empty. We’ll lose our Welsh identity.”
Mixed Reactions
Emlyn Baylis, a retired pub landlord, shared a story of a woman whose street was overrun by Airbnbs, leaving her isolated and lonely. Yet, he disagreed with some locals’ protest tactics, considering the sticker campaign “too much.”
Jane Grover, a hotel landlady, voiced concerns about a neighboring property being converted into an Airbnb with multiple bedrooms, fearing it might become a “party house.” She also noted disturbances caused by rowdy guests next door.
While some residents have embraced Airbnb as a way to fill their rooms, they admitted that breakfast was not part of the package.
Emlyn Hughes, a retired civil servant, mentioned that some locals have gone as far as building sheds in their gardens to accommodate Airbnb guests. He, however, acknowledged that his son also rents out his place on Airbnb and refrained from placing all the blame on the company.
Parking, he added, could be a challenge when numerous guests descend upon the village.
The Sun Online has reached out to Airbnb for their comments on the situation.
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