EFFORTS are being made to ensure tourism in Scotland is safe and sustainable to deal with an expected surge as pandemic restrictions ease.

The industry has not only been badly hit by the coronavirus crisis but has also had to deal with negative press about overcrowding in certain areas once the lockdowns were lifted. These followed previous reports of noise nuisance and anti-social behaviour from rented properties in cities.

Because it is a well-known brand, Airbnb has been something of a lightning rod for complaints but, in fact, most of its properties in Scotland are shared by hosts who make sure there is no anti-social behaviour and also act as informal tourist guides for the guests who stay with them.

The Herald:

Not only that but over 90 per cent of Scots questioned in a recent independent survey recognised the importance to the economy of tourism.

Airbnb alone boosts the Scottish economy by £677 million a year and supports more than 33,500 Scottish jobs – money that currently stays with local families and communities, according to research by Biggar Economics.

In past years this has been concentrated in certain areas like cities and the Highlands but the online platform is now trying to spread the benefits by encouraging guests to stay in less well known places.

It is also working with the Scottish Government on plans to better regulate the industry although the company believes that current proposals are too costly and bureaucratic, potentially putting many out of business.

“Before tourism returns in full we are going to work with the government to rebalance tourism and make sure its return is safe, sustainable and benefits everyone,” said Amanda Cupples, Airbnb General Manager for Northern Europe.

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As part of this, Airbnb has launched campaigns to help spread tourism’s benefits.

“What we are trying to do is avoid overcrowding,” said Ms Cupples. “People often think tourism is synonymous with Edinburgh and the Highlands but there are other equally magical parts of Scotland.”

One of Airbnb’s initiatives is their “Lowland Campaign” which consists of digital marketing and a dedicated hub that includes a selection of listings and content from the area. The platform is also reaching out to local people and businesses to encourage them to capitalise on the unique opportunity of the recovery and enjoy the benefits of hosting on Airbnb, either by sharing a space for accommodation or a passion through Airbnb Experiences. A recent Experience has been a partnership with a south of Scotland distillery which invited Airbnb guests to become a distiller for a day.

The Herald:

In addition, Airbnb has become a Patron of the Scottish Tourism Alliance and will work closely with the largest member organisation for tourism businesses in Scotland to help boost local tourism, marketing and income opportunities for members in the Lowlands and beyond.

A recent Scottish Parliament briefing found that the parts of Scotland most exposed to declines in tourism are predominantly rural and campaigns like Airbnb’s could help them recover from the impact of the pandemic.

However, although research has established that people who stay in short term lets like Airbnb stay longer, spend more, and are more likely to return to Scotland than other visitors, the online platform fears the Scottish Government’s proposals to regulate the industry could do more harm than good.

According to economists' analysis, the rules could take £1 million a day out of the Scottish economy and put 17,000 jobs at risk – the same as raising unemployment by 0.6%.  Under the new proposals, hosts may have to pay almost £2,500 just to comply with new regulations, the most expensive short-term lets regime in Europe, by far. Hosts might also face costly home alterations, such as replacing wooden floors with lino.

“We don’t believe the proposals as they are currently drafted are proportionate or beneficial for Scottish communities but we will continue to consult and work with the government to try and shape them into something that does the job that it is meant to do, which is to protect communities without throwing the baby out with the bath water,” said Ms Cupples.

“Contrary to popular myth, Airbnb is actually a strong advocate for sensible proportionate regulation and has entered into over 1000 tax and regulatory agreements worldwide so this is not new to us.

“However these proposals are among the strictest in the world and incredibly costly. The majority of Airbnb hosts in Scotland actually share their own home  and the average earnings per year are around £1000. However the regulations as drafted mean that whether you share your spare room for one night or your entire property, you need to apply for a licence that could cost you up to £2500. This is really disproportionate.  In this post-pandemic phase, a lot of our hosts rely on that additional income to make ends meet so we want to do the right thing by them.”

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As well as being in favour of registration for those letting out their properties, Airbnb has a neighbourhood support hotline and a range of other tools available to local authorities and communities to help them manage tourism.

In Edinburgh, which does not have a tourist tax mechanism in place, Airbnb is committed to ensuring that locals benefit from each individual stay this summer – much like how a tourism tax would operate. 

Airbnb is therefore donating £5 from each stay that takes place in Edinburgh during the month of August, which includes the summer festival period. The money raised will go towards a fund managed by hosts from Edinburgh and community organisations, and will back local projects in the city.

Said Ms Cupples: “We are taking a series of steps we think can pave the way to achieving a new type of tourism that is better for everyone and we welcome the opportunity to work with our partners in the tourism sector in Scotland.

“We do see the demand is there and people want to start travelling again but we want to make sure that when tourism fully comes back and international travel reopens that we have the right infrastructure and right policies there to support that return.”

See airbnb.co.uk