WA Airbnb hosts to fight for homestays

WA Airbnb hosts have launched a campaign arguing for a level playing field for home sharing, challenging the views that they are killing local tourism providers.

Modelled on similar campaigns in other States, Airbnb head of public policy Brent Thomas said the organisation was urging its hosts to make their voices heard in an email campaign, with opportunities for rallies and protests in the future.

As part of the campaign, Airbnb have revealed that — for the first time — it housed more than 600,000 visitors across 11,500 properties in WA last year, while another 488,000 West Australians used the service.

“We are calling on the Government to introduce fair, forward-looking and Statewide rules for home sharing in WA,” Mr Thomas said.

“Our community is a large, growing political constituency and we will be working closely with them to make sure their voices are heard loud and clear.

“People increasingly don’t want to travel how their parents or grandparents did last century and as such, maintaining the status quo or doing the same old things won’t get WA out of its tourism doldrums.”

The Australian Hotels Association and local tourism providers have raised concerns about the presence of Airbnb in the local market, saying it is having an impact on traditional accommodation operators that have to comply with regulations.

Premier Mark McGowan said yesterday that he did not believe Airbnb could be stopped, with Tourism Minister Paul Papalia and Planning Minister Rita Saffioti working on a new regulatory plan.

“It’s not an easy one to deal with, it’s a massive business and it’s a worldwide phenomenon ... regulating it will be difficult,” Mr McGowan said.