South Africa Tightens Grip on Airbnb and other Home-sharing Platforms

The South African Department of Tourism has published a new whitepaper that proposes new regulations for Airbnb and other home-sharing apps. <br />The Department of Tourism in April 2019, unveiled its plans to regulate Airbnb and similar home-sharing apps through the Tourism Amendment Bill. <br />This bill aims to grant the tourism minister the authority to set specific thresholds for South African Airbnbs. <br />The South African government has argued that platforms like Airbnb could lead to a surplus of unregistered properties on the accommodation market, resulting in the value of formal accommodation providers, such as hotels and guesthouses declining. <br />Michele de Souza, chair of the Pietermaritzburg Bed and Breakfast Network, is advocating for specific regulations that Airbnb hosts should follow. <br />De Souza also called for Airbnb to pay taxes and adhere to business regulations like traditional businesses.<br /><br />This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at <a href="https://www.spreaker.com/show/4166630/advertisement">https://www.spreaker.com/show/4166630/advertisement</a>