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by keiferski 2275 days ago
Many countries already require you to provide an address when entering (for visa-free visits) or when applying for a visa. This is not a new phenomenon.

We will probably see a cursory medical test at borders. This will become more complex over time as the technology develops.

Cities (and tax-paying hosts) make a ton of tax revenue from AirBnb, much of which wouldn’t otherwise exist. I don’t expect any total shutdowns.

3 comments

> Cities (and tax-paying hosts) make a ton of tax revenue from AirBnb

Aha, sure. They pay next to nothing in tax in Europe. Some individuals pay more tax than airbnb while making 10 times less money.

https://translate.google.com/translate?sl=auto&tl=en&u=https...

That’s why I included tax-paying hosts. Presumably individuals pay taxes on their hosting earnings, and individual tax rates are often higher than corporate ones.
Thanks for your insights. I think the tax and tourist income from AirBnB is less than what this form of tourism is costing the city, if measuring correctly. There were several studies published about this recently.
I am curious. What are the costs you have in mind? How are they different from tourists who stay in cheaper hotels?
Ask Barcelona. They're seeing issues with it driving up rental prices, and pushing the actual locals out of the city as landlords realize they can make more money using their properties for AirBnB, with little-to-no regulation, than they can leasing long-term. It also makes others who live in complexes dominated by AirBnB want to move, as tourists really don't care about how they behave and often come in at all hours of the night drunk and loud, and changes the neighborhod itself as businesses change to cater to the new tourists in the area as opposed to locals.

Hotels are specific buildings that aren't part of the real estate market that is let to ordinary locals, whereas AirBnB is. Plus, hotels are generally concentrated in specific areas of the city, and so don't ruin local neighborhoods.

A cursory medical test at the border? I’d vote against that.