DOT to develop accreditation system for Airbnb units in Philippines

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Tourism (DOT) is planning to develop an accreditation system for Airbnb units in the country, driven by the demand for cheaper accommodation facilities.

In an interview, Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat told The STAR the DOT is looking to discuss plans of accrediting Airbnb units with the private sector.

“We have to talk to the private sector on how to accredit because that’s our problem, we cannot accredit them,” Puyat said.

At present, accommodation facilities being accredited by the DOT include hotels, resorts, apartment hotels, pension houses, motels, tourist inns and homestays.

“But it’s a reality that more people want to go to cheaper accommodations,” Puyat said.

Airbnb had 12 million guests checked into an Airbnb listing in off-the-beaten-track destinations in Asia-Pacific in the past year, a 70 percent growth rate year-over-year.

Currently, there are almost 500,000 Airbnb listings in these destinations.

Airbnb’s community of hospitality entrepreneurs in these atypical destinations collectively earned nearly $1 billion through hosting on Airbnb in 2018.

“As we look towards the next decade, the growing economies of Asia-Pacific are going to be the engine that drives the growth of global travel,” Nathan Blecharczyk, Airbnb co-founder, CSO, and chairman of Airbnb China said during the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) tourism summit in Cebu last week.

“As tourism in Asia Pacific grows, many governments in the region have set a goal of dispersing the benefits of tourism beyond the big cities and major tourism destinations. We’re incredibly proud that the Airbnb community is playing its role in making that goal a reality and helping diverse, and often under-resourced, communities benefit from tourism,” Blecharczyk said.

Puyat said hosting Airbnb units would also give smaller entrepreneurs or investors across the country an opportunity to earn more income.

She said the sector is still in need of budget-friendly accommodation facilities to cater to travelers in the lower end of the market.

She added the DOT continues to encourage more investments in the development of the tourism areas in the country, including more hotel rooms.

“We’re inviting not only the high-end but also the lower-end because a lot of people want to travel, but they find it expensive,” Puyat said.

“In fact, we’re talking to some investors, but more in the lower-end so that more people can enjoy the place (tourism areas). And they can spend more on the location itself,” she said.

Puyat earlier urged the private sector, including small local businesses, to invest in the development of tourism areas in line with the goal of making the sector inclusive and sustainable.

“To truly create change in people’s lives, we need to involve the community and that includes the private sector,” Puyat said in her keynote address at the Tourism Summit Philippines earlier this month.

Puyat said the tourism sector has been implementing ASEAN mutual recognition arrangement on tourism professionals, wherein the DOT works together with a network of master trainers to exchange knowledge on various tourism subjects.

“To fully realize our vision, I am inviting local and regional business sectors to invest in developing our tourism areas. We welcome all kinds of businesses, from accommodation to food and beverage services. We need transport operators, tour and travel agencies,” Puyat said.

She said sustainability in tourism is all about investing in people. This involves providing the proper tools to boost capabilities and capacities.