Airbnb says committed to engage with local authorities to develop framework

KUALA LUMPUR (June 12): Short-term lease platform Airbnb looks forward to engaging with local authorities to develop and appropriate frameworks — including tourism tax collection — that allow home sharing to thrive for Malaysia’s short- and long-term benefit, it said in an op-ed today.

The platform was responding to the recent call by The Malaysian Association of Hotels (MAH) to regulate Airbnb to ensure that all stakeholders have an even hand in the industry.

“We have worked with hundreds of governments around the world to develop clear and sensible frameworks that support respectful and responsible home sharing. As a new chapter unfolds in Malaysia, Airbnb is committed to working with the government to continue promoting authentic Malaysian hospitality and tourism to the rest of the world,” Airbnb head of public policy for Southeast Asia Mich Goh said.

She highlighted that Malaysia has firmly established itself as one of Airbnb’s fastest growing markets in Asia over the past few years with more than 1.5 million guest arrivals from over 176 countries, reflecting a significant 137% annual growth.

“Malaysia is our most popular destination and the fastest-growing market within Southeast Asia alone. We continue to grow because tourists increasingly want new and authentic adventures when they travel.

“In fact, 84% of our guests globally use Airbnb because they want to live like a local, and 44% of all guests spending takes place in the neighbourhoods where they stay. For them, Airbnb is the antidote to modern, mass tourism and a gateway to experience true Malaysian hospitality,” she said.

She also pointed out that hospitality is a growing market and Airbnb is growing the sector by making travel more accessible and affordable for more people than ever.

She added that they have been having “meaningful and productive conversations” with the government and local industry stakeholders.

“The Airbnb community contributed RM200.4 million to the Malaysian economy in 2017 alone. A typical Malaysian host earned RM4,790 in 2017 and because hosts keep 97% of the money they charge, that’s more revenue generated for local communities that do not typically benefit from tourism,” she said.

She also added that home sharing platforms like Airbnb offer the ability to adjust, if not correct, property market imbalances by enabling thousands of homeowners to share their homes and earn vital supplemental income.

“This is especially beneficial in Malaysia where the current residential overhang has generated 130,690 unsold and unutilised apartments worth RM20 billion, and led the government to limit construction of new apartment buildings,” she concluded.