Margaret River focuses on Airbnb
The Margaret River-Busselton Tourism Association has now put its focus on online accommodation giant Airbnb which is rolling out a rival visitation program.
Outgoing MRBTA chief executive Pip Close said accommodation providers had mixed feeling about Airbnb.
“There’s no denying that Airbnb is here to stay”, Ms Close told the West Australian.
“Some of our members are already using Airbnb to take bookings, while others are not engaging with the platform and are nervous about the potential impact on their business.
“There is lots of collaboration going on and we’re monitoring developments very closely.”
The concern about Airbnb’s impact comes after the Australian launch of Airbnb Trips in Sydney last month.
Airbnb has touted it as “the most significant development in its eight-year history”.
So far, Airbnb has not confirmed whether the service delivering activities “designed and led by local experts” will be introduced in the area.
The Airbnb website however shows more than 300 results with more than 700 properties approved as holiday houses or bed and breakfasts in Busselton city, and about 250 approved in the Augusta-Margaret River shire.
And it’s definitely being rolled out around Australian cities.
Ms Close said there are some positives about Airbnb.
“The impact is largely on accommodation members, but attractions and tour companies can also be affected in a positive way, as Airbnb helps to provide additional visitation during the region’s major events when accommodation is fully booked,” she told the newspaper.
She said negative comments about Airbnb were “infrequent”.
All this coincides with a Deloitte Access Economics report earlier this year which found Airbnb guests boosted the Australian economy by $1.6 billion, increasing spending on food, shopping, entertainment and the accommodation itself.
Augusta-Margaret River Shire sustainable development director Dale Putland told the West Australian that sites like Airbnb made it easier for people to market holiday homes.
And that, he said, contributed to the rise in registered holiday homes in the region.
by Leon Gettler, May 9th 2017
