Jamaica’s listing of Airbnb accommodations have moved from 6,500 to 9,000 over the past year, and attracted close to 90,000 visitors, according to the Jamaica Home Sharing Association (JHSA).
Up to the end of 2016, there were 4,000 listings on Airbnb in Jamaica, a clear indication of how quickly Jamaicans are embracing the United States-based short-term rental entity.
At the association’s first annual general meeting held at Devon House in Kingston yesterday, outgoing JHSA President Havanah Llewellyn said there had also been an increase from 3,100 to close to 4,000 registered Airbnb hosts during the period and the association’s membership had also grown by 30 per cent since it was established just over a year ago.
He said the JHSA had been working with the Government to help enhance the tourism sector through agencies such as the Tourism Development Product Company and the Tourism Enhancement Fund, noting that in 2016 Airbnb and the Jamaica Torist Board signed a major agreement to promote tourism on the island.
At the same time, he urged persons to become hosts to the various experiences which are being made available to visitors, noting that some 100 experiences have been conceptualised.
Llewellyn explained that, while the industry faces an issue where taxation is concerned, the Government has been working with home sharers to grow the sector and as such hosts want to pay their fair share of taxes, “so we must continue to grow our business”.
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eCommerce10 months ago