SHORT-TERM HOME RENTALS
Western Cape will fight antitourism ‘Airbnb bill’
The DA-run Western Cape says it will oppose any plans by the national government to regulate short-term home rentals, such as those on the popular online platform Airbnb that has generated billions of rand for the province, saying the move would kill tourism. "Over 2-million people have made use of Airbnb alone in this country, and if regulations make it more difficult for travellers to access this kind of accommodation, they will simply vote with their wallets and go elsewhere," Western Cape economic opportunities MEC Beverley Schäfer said. "We cannot allow this to happen," The Western Cape, which the party hails as the best-run province in the country, is a renowned tourist hotspot and attracts millions of visitors to its beaches and wine farms. In SA tourism contributed R136.1bn, or about 2.9% of total GDP in 2017, according to government data. This increased to R412.5bn, or 8.9% of GDP, when "indirect and induced benefits" across a very broad value chain were factored in. Homeow...
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