Quote:
Originally Posted by Keith P.
Well, the greater the reach of government via taxation measures into an individual's ability to generate wealth, the more creative people will become in ways to avoid the icy grasp of government. Things like AirBnBs and Uber are paradigm shifts that are enabled via technology, but they tap into the dissatisfaction of some/many with the traditional ways of providing those services, which is due in part to excess govt regulation and taxation. I do find myself wondering how many of those 2600 AirBnBs you cite are actually used for that purpose on a regular basis, but clearly Uber has found a market.
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People love to crap on Airbnb for having a negative impact on the affordable housing market, but let's not pretend that the reasons for Airbnb's success are not valid. Look at what you get from an Airbnb that you don't get from typical hotels:
- Larger selection of locations. In most cities, hotels are concentrated in a handful of areas and you can have huge sections of the city that are underserved. A neighborhood like Montreal's Plateau is very attractive for tourists but there are basically no hotels there.
- The ability for groups to stay together in one unit. This is valuable when traveling with family or friends.
- Fully equipped kitchens. Available in some hotels, but not really the norm.
- Different amenities: Perhaps a private yard, a large deck, hot tub, pool tables, etc.
Airbnb delivered these features to its customers and for hotels to keep up they will need to shift their business models.