There is a move to bring Air B n B accommodations into the formal economy

(PointeXpress)The Air BnB sector of the Antigua and Barbuda tourism market is a vital part of the industry, but many operators remain outside the formal economy and the tourism officials are advocating for a change in that regard. Antigua and Barbuda Tourism Authority, Chief Executive Officer, Colin C. James, said the Air BnB segment of the market in the country is ‘very important’ representing as many as 1,100 rooms. These rooms, he said, range from some small hotel properties to private individuals who are using their homes for rental. James noted that many of these properties are not registered, so they are not paying the required taxes, from which funds go to finance the country’s marketing campaign. He noted that during the pandemic, these Air BnB properties were required to register, as anyone arriving in the country was not allowed to go into any accommodation that was not registered, inspected, and passed by the health and tourism ministries. However, since the pandemic ended there has been a fall-off in the number of registered properties. He noted that having these properties registered serves several purposes; most importantly, there is a need for them to be registered so that they can pay the taxes. In addition, he said the taxes are charged to guests whether or not the property is registered, and the onus is on the property operator to pay those taxes to the Inland Revenue Department. According to the ABTA CEO, in some jurisdictions, there are strong lobbying efforts to limit the scope of Air BnB, but he is not opposed to their operation here. All he wants is for them to be registered, pay the appropriate taxes, and adhere to the established standards set by the Ministry of Tourism. It was disclosed that there are an estimated five hundred properties listed on the Air BnB Antigua and Barbuda site, but less than three hundred of these properties are registered. The ministry has launched a drive to bring these properties into the formal economy