Airbnb says business good for tourism, not hurting it

Hospitality Newfoundland and Labrador is saying unregulated accommodations websites, like the highly popular Airbnb, are hurting the province's economy. But Airbnb says, if anything, the site offers more options for travellers.

Airbnb is an online home-sharing service that allows owners to post their accommodations for travellers, whether it be a room in a home, a separate apartment or an entire unit for a daily fee, much like traditional hotels.

Hospitality NL said earlier this week said these kinds of services are a risk not only to the host, but also to travellers who have no assurances they will be staying in a suitable and safe accommodation.

However, Airbnb said in a statement the services brings more business into a community.

"Airbnb is complementary to the existing tourism industry and spreads the economic benefits of tourism across cities to new communities and small businesses," said Aaron Zifkin, country manager for Airbnb in Canada.

"Hotel occupancy rates are higher than ever and we strongly believe we're helping more people travel, which is good news for everyone."

As for concerns that hotels and B&B owners are put in an unfair situation because they pay taxes and Airbnb hosts don't, the company says hosts are encouraged to declare all their income on their taxes.

However, Zifkin added, it's a complicated process because the tax system in most cases wasn't created with people like an Airbnb host in mind. The company has a team working in other countries to establish a better process.