Airbnb Grows Sharply in Costa RicaMonday, September 4, 2017 As of July this year, 8 thousand people were registered on the web platform along with 14 thousand rooms available for rent in Costa Rica. While Airbnb.com authorities continue their efforts to consolidate the business by offering to the Ministry of Finance to charge sales tax for transactions made in Costa Rica, the number of Costa Rican rooms and residences available on the website continues to increase, as well as than the number of users within the country. Hotels are Losing War On Holiday RentalsWednesday, October 19, 2016 In Costa Rica the total amount of accommodation available for rent through the web platform Airbnb is now equivalent to 18% of the hotels in the country. The figure has been confirmed by the union of hoteliers, who say there is now a total of 11,000 homes offering accommodation for tourism through Airbnb. On top of this data there are also residences rented to tourists through other platforms such as Homeaway or VRBO. 11% of Tourists Prefer Houses to HotelsMonday, November 7, 2016 In Costa Rica between 2010 and 2015, the proportion of tourists staying in rented homes instead of hotels increased from 4% to 11%. Of the more than 9.6 million tourists who visited Costa Rica in the last five years, almost 700 thousand claimed to have stayed in rented homes using platforms such as Airbnb or Homeaway, instead of hotels. Figures compiled by Nacion.com indicate that the greatest trend was seen in the province of Guanacaste, specifically among tourists coming into the country through the Daniel Oduber airport. Taxes on Rental Accommodation in Costa RicaMonday, February 6, 2017 A bill being prepared by the hotel union would force platforms such as Airbnb to pay 13% sales tax and an additional 5% for national parks. The bill is being drafted by the National Chamber of Tourism, which intends to submit it to the Legislative Assembly. If passed, this law would take effect for all platforms used for renting accommodation for tourism purposes, such as Airbnb, Homeaway and others. Rental Properties in NicaraguaMonday, January 23, 2017 Already more than 1000 homes are available to rent through the web platform Airbnb, and most of them are centered around the Pacific coast. The increasing supply of houses and apartments available for short stays is forcing hotels to change their methods of attracting guests in order to survive. In the case of Nicaragua, where the hotel supply is relatively nascent and not as developed as in other neighboring markets, the efforts that businesses in the tourism sector have to make to compete with Airbnb is even greater. Airbnb, Taxes and TourismMonday, February 19, 2018 The company would be willing to charge the lodging tax in Panama if the restrictions on the rental of real estate for tourism purposes were eliminated, and if the data on property owners was protected. These are the conditions that representatives of the property rental platform proposed to the Panamanian government to begin negotiating the possible collection of the 10% lodging tax, also paid by hotels, in order to formalize their operation in the country. Panama: Hotels vs. AirBnB War ContinuesMonday, March 7, 2016 Besides trying to formally regulate housing rentals used for tourism, the DGI is planning better controls on the payment of income tax and ITBMS. The battle between hotels against vacation rentals made via platforms such as Airbnb continues, and so far the only measure taken by the government has been to collect fines of up to $50,000 and a promise to accelerate the process of imposing these sanctions. Airbnb Could Operate Freely Outside of Panama CityMonday, January 2, 2017 The government has proposed that Airbnb offer its services only in the interior of the country where the supply of hotels is lower and where the legal prohibition of vacation rentals is not in effect. Authorities at the online rental company met with representatives from the government and the private sector, after a group of tourists were affected by an inspection by the ATP in an apartment which was rented out using the platform. Vacation Rentals: New Law Projected to DeclineThursday, September 12, 2019 With the legal framework approved in Costa Rica, which regulates the provision of tourist rental services in housing through digital platforms, Airbnb executives anticipate a considerable drop in the number of hosts in the country. On September 5, the Legislative Assembly reported that file 20865, the framework law for the regulation of non-traditional hosting and its intermediation through digital platforms, was approved for the second debate. Airbnb Seeks Space in Panama CityFriday, November 15, 2019 Because the legislation currently does not allow the collaborative hosting economy platform to operate in the country's capital, the company expressed an interest in working with the authorities to remove the ban. For now, the platform only offers the public accommodation in the interior of the country, the most popular destinations being Bocas del Toro, Río Hato, Boquete, Chiriquí and Playa Gorgona. Threats to "Traditional" tourismMonday, March 25, 2019 Given the growing use of its vacation rental platform in Panama, Airbnb plans to offer other services such as ticket purchase, tours and paperwork management for tourists. Airbnb executives reported that between 2017 and 2018, the number of visitors who demanded their services increased by 65%. This situation contrasts with the decrease in hotel occupancy registered in recent years in Panama. Airbnb Wants to Pay Taxes in Costa RicaMonday, December 12, 2016 The company's proposal states that in just two months it could start making tax payments, putting to the test the responsiveness of bureaucracy against the speed of the real economy. Airbnb, one of the leading global companies that is taking advantage of the momentum that the technological revolution has provided to the collaborative economy, has now created a housing supply available for seasonal rental in Costa Rica which is equivalent to 18% of the supply of hotels. New Attempt to Charge Tax on Holiday RentalsThursday, May 18, 2017 Although Airbnb offered to collect the sales tax for transactions made in Costa Rica through its platform, the Treasury is evaluating asking the US for information on the hosts. The Directorate General for Taxation will try to exhaust all routes first with the company Airbnb, but as a second alternative, it has announced that if it does not reach an agreement with Airbnb, it could request information on the hosts, making use of international agreements for exchange of information with other governments, such as as the US. Plan to Regulate Airbnb Moves ForwardThursday, September 5, 2019 In Costa Rica, the bill to regulate the provision of tourist rental services in housing through digital platforms, which includes a 13% tax and would require suppliers to register, which would make this accommodation option more expensive. The deputies approved in their first debate, file No. 20,865 Framework Law for the regulation of non-traditional hosting and its intermediation through digital platforms, reported the Assembly on August 28. Tourism and Presidential ElectionsMonday, February 26, 2018 A month before the ballotage, Costa Rican tourism entrepreneurs are asking the two candidates for clear proposals on issues such as the impact of Airbnb, the tax burden and the image of the country at an international level. Following the trend of the main business associations in the country, the National Chamber of Tourism (Canatur) has started to raise its concerns and ideas with the two presidential candidates regarding how to improve competitiveness of the sector. In the first meeting, with Fabricio Alvarado, candidate for the Restauración Nacional party, representatives of Canatur asked for urgent issues to be attended to, such as the case of the holiday rental platform Airbnb and the impact it is having on the operation of hotels and hostels. |
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