Airbnb in Cape Town: Several changes set to improve the platform

There are new rules for home sharing, as recently announced by the City of Cape Town which have been welcomed by Airbnb.

Municipal planning bylaw amendments

With the new amendments, a house or flat can be let for 30 consecutive days. This allows for short term stays by guests to be extended, which has increased due to the likes of Airbnb. It will essentially make the process of listing your home on Airbnb easier.

“Airbnb believes the proposed rules are right for Cape Town and show the city’s progressive attitude. Positive results can be achieved when policymakers and Airbnb work together on the shared goals of making cities better places to live, work and visit,” says Velma Corcoran, Airbnb Country Manager for Sub-Saharan Africa. 

Tourism is a critical industry to the City of Cape Town, and amendments such as these foster growth in that regard. According to Airbnb, the South African economy has benefited from the platform, to an estimated R8.7 billion.With 35 000 hosts in South Africa, it is estimated to have supported 22 000 jobs. Since its beginnings in 2008, the more than two million guests have booked Airbnb stays.

This support of home sharing communities will yield positive results for the city. “This gives us the opportunity to take a new immersive approach to cultural tourism. Recently, the City of Cape Town’s Draft Tourism Development Framework was adopted by Council. This framework fits perfectly with the impressive work done by Airbnb in Cape Town,” says Alderman James Vos, Cape Town Mayoral Committee Member for Economic Opportunities.

Corcoran adds, “It ensures that together, Airbnb and the City of Cape Town can help spread the benefits of tourism to those who haven’t previously been able to be part of the tourism economy, thereby helping more locals, their immediate communities and the city to reap the economic gains that tourism brings … Airbnb has worked with many governments around the world, and would like to congratulate Cape Town on supporting entrepreneurship and empowerment.” 

Airbnb to introduce security solutions

Airbnb will be introducing new security solutions to provide increased protection. These solutions are: 100% Verified, Guest Guarantee, Airbnb Neighbour Hotline and High Risk human review.

There are seven million listings on Airbnb worldwide, each of which will be subjected to these verifications. This is set to improve the quality standards and accuracy on the platform. Listings will be measured by their photos, location details, amenities, safety and cleanliness. 

Those who meet the requirements will be labelled as such by 15 December 2020. If a listing fails to meet the new standards by then, Airbnb will be re-booking guests to another suitable host, or provide them with a full refund.

The Guest Guarantee will protect visitors, should they arrive at a listing that does not meet its online description. 

The Airbnb Neighbour Hotline will provide guests with a direct contact to a rapid response team, available 24/7. This is a feature which has been requested by users. It will be launched on December 31 in the United States, and introduced globally over the course of 2020.

Airbnb shuns unethical wildlife interactions 

In a move welcomed by The Southern Africa Tourism Services Association (SATSA), Airbnb and TripAdvisor will no longer feature wildlife interactions that are not inline with ethical conservation efforts. 

In a new section of Airbnb experiences titled ‘Animal Experiences,’ there will be strict ethical standards in line with World Animal Protection. These standards will not support activities which include the likes of interacting with wild animals. The experiences will be hosted by conservationists.

The success of Airbnb continues to grow in South Africa, and is set to improve with the City of Cape Town’s home sharing bylaw amendments, the new security features to be introduced and the responsible tourism of the new ‘Animal Experiences.’