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Airbnb and Japan: What’s Happening?
To the surprise of Airbnb, not to mention their hosts and prospective guests, major policy changes implemented by the Japanese Tourism Agency (JTA) saw the forced cancellation of thousands of reservations, with immediate effect, in early June.
“Airbnb feels confident that their strict approach to cancelling the reservations of those who do not comply with regulation will return a positive outcome in the long-run”
Almost a month on troubles have continued, with it becoming increasingly apparent that a percentage of Airbnb hosts in Japan have resorted to fake registration numbers in a bid to circumnavigate the new policies. Whilst this has unnerved the government who, like many world leaders, remain uncertain about the long-term implications of a sharing economy, Airbnb feels confident that their strict approach to cancelling the reservations of those who do not comply with regulation will return a positive outcome in the long-run.
Airbnb has been vocal in their support of the policy changes, stating ‘we believe the new rules will ultimately be a positive change for Airbnb and our Japan community.’ Given the notable increase in tourism in Japan, this is somewhat unsurprising.
Their approach to the matter demonstrates their vision for the potential of Japan as a tourist destination — particularly in the…
