fbpx

summary

HAVE YOUR SAY ON THE TOURISM BILL

SUMMARY

ISSUES AFFECTING GUESTS

  1. We fear that Airbnb daily rates will be driven up artificially to align with hotels which we cannot afford.
  2. We prefer to stay in less trafficked areas where hotels are not concentrated.
  3. We choose not to stay in hotels since they are impersonal.
  4. We prefer the experience of living like locals when we travel.
  5. We prefer the support of a host when we travel. For example, she would take us to her local doctor if need be.
  6. We enjoy the individuality of Airbnb accommodation and the local knowledge shared by hosts.
  7. We enjoy the standard of accommodation provided by Airbnb hosts since their competition demands that this is upheld.
  8. We enjoy repeat business trips and family visits at our favourite Airbnb accommodation and don’t want to be told that the host has reached her ‘threshold’ and we must find somewhere else to stay.
  9. We also don’t want to be told that we can only stay for less than 30 days, and not longer than 3 months. This is catastrophic for students, interns and business travellers. Also longer family visits from abroad.
  10. We are concerned about the devoted, most often breadwinner employees who will lose their work if Airbnb is curtailed. What provision will the government make to employ them?
  11. This bill will control our freedom of choice and we will need to consider taking holidays, studying or doing business further afield.
  12. Visas, insufficient direct flights, security and load shedding issues already discourage us.

ISSUES AFFECTING HOSTS

Restricting Airbnb hosts to only be permitted a maximum booking period of 3 months (or less) per year, will have dire consequences for them all:

  1.  Many retired persons cannot survive on their pensions, therefore rent out rooms or a portion of their property to meet soaring costs.
  2. Many ladies in the underserved communities, rent out rooms in their homes to afford schooling and food for their children.
  3.  Many hosts with disabilities who cannot work in the formal sector, offer their knowledge, time and accommodation to support their costs.
  4. Many single parents require the additional income to provide education for their children, and maintain their home.
  5. Many local businesses flourish through the additional requirements that guests bring.
  6. All these Airbnb properties employ staff who are most often breadwinners. Thousands of loyal helpers will become unemployed.
  7. The massive boost to the economy which Airbnb has brought will be lost for no gain whatsoever.
  8. Guests who can’t afford hotels and dislike them, will choose other countries to visit.
  9. Airbnb hosts pay tax and VAT on every booking and service fee to the government. This will also be lost.
  10. Rezoning in order to continue is laborious, another cost to the government and unnecessary.
  11. Hosts have installed water management equipment to keep in line, or below the average household water allocation. We proved it in Cape Town!
  12. Restricting guests from staying longer than 30 days is disastrous for students, interns, travellers working on contract and longer family visits.
  13. South Africa needs tourism desperately to float a failing economy, why limit Airbnb’s contribution to that? It is a destructive step to take.
  14. Airbnb properties are self regulated by the platform review system. Those that are not up to standard do not remain open.
  15. Government does not need to regulate what is already regulated, they need to focus on more critical matters of which there are countless.