Latest news with #AirBnBs
India.com
2 days ago
- Business
- India.com
India joins Japan in top 3, ranks among best countries to..., here's what made to the list
India joins Japan in top 3, ranks among best countries to..., here's what made to the list India's tourism sector has grown very fast in recent times. The Telegraph UK has released a list of the best countries to visit in 2025. India has been ranked third on this list. New Zealand is at number one, and Japan is at number two. A chartered accountant named Sarthak Ahuja shared a post about this on LinkedIn. In his post, he talked about how quickly India's hospitality industry is growing. He also shared how people's travel habits are changing over time. According to Ahuja, the best cities to travel to in the world right now are Cape Town, Seville, and Sydney. India also got recognition in the hotel rankings. Two Indian hotels made it to the top list: The Oberoi was ranked first and the Taj was ranked third. India's hotel industry is expanding quickly. IHCL, the company that runs the Taj Hotels, has opened 50 new hotels since January 2024. The company aims to increase this number to between 350 and 700 hotels by the year 2030. At the same time, France's Accor Group also plans to triple its number of hotels in India by 2030. How rising GDP is changing travel in India India's per capita GDP (income per person) has now crossed USD 3,000. As people earn more, they are spending more on travel, especially local travel within the country. Currently, India has about 2,00,000 branded hotel rooms, which is similar to what the UAE has. But India's population is over 100 times bigger than that of the UAE. This shows a huge gap and big growth potential in India's hotel industry. According to chartered accountant Sarthak Ahuja, this is a great opportunity for people who run AirBnBs or boutique hotels. He explains that rich Indians usually take one foreign trip per year, but they also go on at least 2–3 short domestic trips in the same year. That means demand for good local stays is growing fast. Siliguri is becoming a hot spot for destination weddings Siliguri in West Bengal is now turning into a popular place for destination weddings. Ahuja recently visited the city and noticed that many big hotel chains are starting to open there. Siliguri is especially becoming a favourite for people from Bihar and Bengal. The luxury hotel chain Mayfair is already there. Now, hotels like Taj, ITC, and Hyatt also have plans to open in the city. People are now spending up to Rs. 1 crore for weddings. In fact, even 100-room hotels are falling short to meet the demand during wedding seasons.
Daily Mirror
24-07-2025
- Business
- Daily Mirror
Airbnb blamed as 'whole UK city hollowed out' with locals 'forced to move'
Residents are up in arms as Airbnb takes over in the popular holiday hotspot - and locals are calling for more regulation Residents in a UK city are kicking up a fuss as Airbnb takes over the popular holiday hotspot, with locals demanding tighter regulation. The surge in short-term holiday lets has seen rental costs and house prices skyrocket in areas where second homes are snapped up, pushing up market value due to demand. Some locals claim they've been turfed out of their homes so landlords can rake in higher rents from Airbnb lettings. York is the latest city to feel the pinch, with residents claiming 'whole flats and houses are being snatched away from local people' by Airbnb rentals. Locals have been 'pushed' to relocate outside of the city, blaming soaring rental costs and lack of availability - and they're crying out for action on the issue. Labour Guildhall ward councillors at City of York Council are calling for change and demanding local powers to 'control and limit the number of lets', reports the Express. Councillors and residents are grumbling about 'noise, antisocial behaviour and parking issues' in the historic city, which pulls in roughly 8 million visitors each year. One resident spoke of 'mad amounts' of hen and stag dos in the city centre every weekend, adding that 'drunken antics' had become 'unmanageable by police and city cleaners'. The York Tourism Strategy reveals that the city's appeal to visitors brings in a whopping £1.7 billion to the local economy annually. However, there's a growing sense of unease among locals, with some fearing they'll lose their homes to accommodate tourists. Labour Guildhall ward councillors have launched a petition calling for restrictions on holiday homes, as other popular tourist destinations such as Cornwall, Wales and parts of Devon introduce double council tax, also known as the second homes premium. Over 1000 York residents have already put their names to the petition, expressing their exasperation at the 'overtourism' in their local area. One disgruntled resident wrote on the petition page: "The fact Airbnbs continue without regulation means so many are forced out of living inside York, whether that's because of cost, or availability. "It's for sure a contributing factor to the insane amount of hen/stag/drunkard parties in the centre every weekend making town clearly unmanageable by police, cleaning services, and services in general. "Heavier regulation would mean at least local communities have their say, and hopefully could have these AirBnBs actually give something back to the local community (and its homeless services that it is effecting) rather than just depriving people of housing, with no repercussions." Another added: "I was evicted from my house in South Bank because my landlady wanted to turn it into an Airbnb. "I now live on the other side of town but am still next door to another Airbnb. "Short term lets are hollowing out the city, making housing scarce and by extension, putting rents up. "We need regulation to ensure that the residents and tourists both have their needs met - a person renting out their spare room is very different from someone renting out an entire mid-terrace in South Bank on the Ebor weekend, for instance." Another resident said whilst the 'original idea of Airbnb was good' which involved 'putting people up in a spare room in your own home', the short-let system had spiralled out of control in York. They added: "Whole flats and houses are being taken away from local people. "Let's follow, for example, New York City, which limits holiday rentals to primary residences."
Forbes
21-07-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Stanford Analyzes Worker Preferences For AI
workers with AI getty Many of us have internalized this notion that we're soon going to be working side-by-side with robots, or at least AI agents and entities. So as humans, what do we want these digital colleagues of ours to do? How does delegation work? A Stanford study recently went into this where authors surveyed 15,000 workers in over 100 types of jobs, to see what they really thought about AI adoption. I thought this comment by one of the authors sums up the purpose of the report well: 'As AI systems become increasingly capable, decisions about how to deploy them in the workplace are often driven by what is technically feasible,' writes project leader Yijia Shao, a Ph.D. student in the Stanford computer science department, 'yet workers are the ones most affected by these changes and the ones the economy ultimately relies on.' In other words, it's the front-line workers who are going to be most affected by these changes, so we might as well hear what they have to say (in addition to doing all kinds of market research.) There's a reason why the suggestion box is a time-tested element of business intelligence. Technology has to be a good fit – it's not something you just implement carelessly, throwing darts at a wall, and then expecting all of the people involved to sign on and go along for the ride. Some Results In terms of actual study findings, the Stanford people found that a lot of it, as Billy Joel famously sung, comes down to trust: 45% of respondents had doubts about reliability, and a reported 23% were worried about job loss. As for the types of tasks that workers favored automating, the study provides a helpful visual that shows off various must-haves against certain danger zones of adoption. Specifically, Stanford researchers split this into a 'green light zone' and a 'red light zone', as well as a 'low priority zone', and an 'opportunities zone' featuring uses that workers might want, but that are not yet technically viable. Uses in the green light zone include scheduling tasks for tax preparers, quality control reporting, and the interpretation of engineering reports. Red light uses that workers are wary of include the preparation of meeting agendas for municipal clerks, as well as the task of contacting potential vendors in logistics analysis. There's also the task of researching hardware or software products, where surveyed computer network support specialists seem to prefer to do this type of work themselves. I thought it was funny that one item in the low priority zone was 'tracing lost, delayed or misdirected baggage,' a job typically done by ticket agents. It explains a lot for those legions of hapless travelers entering their faraway AirBnBs without so much as a toothbrush. As for opportunities, it seems that technical writers would like AI to arrange for distribution of material, computer scientists will largely sign off on technology working on operational budgets, and video game designers would like production schedules automated. Why Automate? I also came across a section of the study where researchers looked at reasons for automation desire on the part of survey respondents. It seems that over 2500 survey workers want to automate a task because it will free up time for other kinds of work. About 1500 cited 'repetitive or tedious' tasks that can be automated, and about the same number suggested that automating a particular task would improve the quality of work done. A lower number suggested automating stressful or mentally draining tasks, or those that are complicated or difficult. The study also broke down tasks and processes into three control areas, including 'AI agent drives task completion', 'human drives task completion' or 'equal partnership' (and two other gradations). You can see the entire thing here , or listen to one of my favorite podcasts on the subject here . One of the headline items is a prediction of diminishing needs for analysis or information processing skills. That connects with more of a focus on managerial, interpersonal or coordination job roles. However, how this will shake out is concerning to many workers, and I would suggest that 23% of respondents worrying about job displacement is a wildly low number. Almost anybody anywhere should be worried about job displacement. Regardless of what happens in the long term, many experts are predicting extremely high unemployment in the years to come, as we work out the kinks in the biggest technological transformation of our time. Anyway, this study brings a lot of useful information to the question – what do we want AI to do for us in enterprise?
Yahoo
07-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Parkville loosening restrictions on short-term rentals ahead of World Cup 2026
PARKVILLE, Mo. – Next year's World Cup 2026 matches will be here before you know it. At least one Kansas City metro city is getting a head start on cashing in on this worldwide event. KC leaders looking to fill vacant businesses ahead of KC2026 World Cup , like Air BnBs, hoping to attract fans to that neighboring city. Parkville sits about 20 minutes from the heart of downtown Kansas City. For a three-month window next summer, Parkville municipal leaders will allow an unlimited number of short-term rentals, hoping to bring visiting soccer fans here. Parkville is presently home to nearly 9,000 people, and a thriving downtown. Present ordinances allow for four short-term rentals per city ward. Those restrictions will be loosened beginning May 1, 2026. 'I would stay here because it's real cozy and comfy,' Annette Hagen, , said. Hagen knows hundreds of thousands of World Cup soccer fans are expected to crowd into the metro for soccer's biggest show next summer. Property owners will still need a city permit to open a short-term rental. Hagen is considering transforming another apartment into a second short-term rental property. 'It's like a full apartment,' Hagen said. 'I think it will be really good for the city. I heard there will be a lot of people who are going to be here.' Parkville Mayor Dean Katerndahl supports loosening those regulations. The mayor likes that this will allow property owners to rent their homes and rentals to others, and that permission to do so won't be permanent. Council authorizes KC Current to negotiate park along levee near CPKC 'We want to expose people, and we want our people to have a good time while the World Cup is here. It's quite an honor to have as many games as we're going to have here,' Katerndahl said. Fans of short-term rentals say they appreciate the extra space, and room for multiple people that most hotels don't offer. Adam Bernero, a father of five from Chicago, prefers short-term rentals. Bernero and his son are staying in a nearby rental during a baseball trip. 'You might be able to have your family come stay with you, if you can split it with another family. That's always nice,' Bernero said. Download WDAF+ for Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV Katerndal said Parkville is the metro's second-fastest growing city. It's also a short distance to Riverside, Missouri, where a World Cup team could potentially make its headquarters at KC Current's training facility. Kansas City's series of World Cup matches are scheduled to begin on June 11, 2026. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
04-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
What we know about plans for Airbnb rule changes
A newly proposed law could push for a major crackdown on holiday rentals and tougher regulations, in a step towards 'restoring fairness' in the housing system in Cornwall and the wider southwest. The 'AirBnB Bill', which does not only target AirBnBs but refers to all short-term lettings, was proposed on 3 June by Ben Maguire MP for North Cornwall. It is aimed at home owners who let their properties to holidaymakers. In a tweet on social media platform, X, Maguire shared that the Bill will include requirements for planning permission before homes can become short-term lets, in an attempt 'to put a stop to the avoidance of paying council tax'. 'It's a simple change with a big impact," the tweet read, 'enough is enough.' Council Tax is one of many factors that have contributed to authorities mulling a crackdown in other areas of the country too. Brighton and Hove City Council revealed last week it is considering tougher regulations on holiday lets, amid an ongoing housing shortage. The council's report from 25 March revealed that as many as 6,000 homes are being used as holiday rentals in the city, and that some short-term holiday lets could be exploiting tax loopholes, with an estimate of £6bn in undeclared tax nationally. Other cities considering a crackdown include Cornwall, Whitby, Whitstable, St Ives and St Davids. Some reasons for the consideration include noise-nuisance, anti-social behaviour, pressure on limited parking, disrupting rubbish collection due to incorrect disposal and lack of correct fire and gas safety measures which endangers visitors. With MPs and councillors exploring ways to better regulate short-term rentals, Yahoo outlines the rules on renting out your home as a holiday let in the UK... In the UK, a holiday rental is referred to as a furnished holiday letting (FHL) according to with many people using sites such as Airbnb, Tripadvisor, and Agoda to rent out their homes. For your home to qualify as a FHL in England and Northern Ireland, it must be fully furnished and made available to rent by the public as furnished accommodation for at least 210 days in the year, and must be actually rented for at least 105 days in the year. For individual lettings in England, which is when renting fees are set for each room or per person, stays cannot exceed 31 days without requiring a formal tenancy agreement. In London, short-term lets cannot exceed a total of 90 days in the calendar year without planning permission – there are similar specific planning regulations in other areas outside of the capital. The rules for renting your property as a holiday let can differ depending on your local council or region, be sure to check the regulations. In Scotland and Wales, a home qualifies as a FHL when it's available for short-term lettings for at least 252 nights in a year and is actually let for at least 182 nights. Home owners in Scotland, who are looking to rent out their properties as holiday lets, are required to get a licence as part of the Short Term Accommodation Licensing scheme, which came into effect on 1 January 2025. The scheme offers four different types of licences, which last for three years and can take up to 12 months to process: Secondary letting – letting accommodation that isn't your principal home Home letting – letting your principal home when you're not there Home sharing – letting part of your principal home when you're not there Home letting and home sharing If you have more than one property – and they don't all have the same address – you will need a licence for each one. In January 2024, the Welsh Government announced plans to introduce a registration scheme and a licensing scheme in 2025, with aims for these to be set nationally, simple to use, cost effective and enable automatic/instant approval of properties. As of April 2025, the tax benefits that FHL qualifiers were entitled to were abolished, meaning that holiday lets are now taxed in the same way as other residential rental properties rather than under the previous business rates. The Bill is aiming to close a "damaging loophole" that currently allows second home owners to convert their properties into short-term holiday lets without planning oversight. Maguire claims this has been adding to the housing shortages and undermining council tax obligations. If passed, the new rule could include a requirement for planning permission before any property can become a holiday let. This is a permit or form of authorisation for building-related projects, which makes sure that it complies with planning policies and regulations. This could mean that homeowners who let their properties short-term will be required to get planning permission from their Local Planning Authority, which will decide whether or not to grant permission. The decision can be based on multiple factors, ranging from the impact this could have on the area, to how it aligns with their development plans for the area. Planning permission is already required for short-term lets in Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales - England is set to require the same. Maguire described the Bill as "a targeted and fair proposal" with the goal to "give power back to local authorities, and protect our communities." "I'm hopeful that the Government will take this issue as seriously as it deserves. Together, we make it very clear: enough is enough," he said. In 2024, it is estimated that there were about 451,000 available short-term rental properties on platforms like Airbnb and in the UK. Additionally, a survey revealed that 4.5 million properties had been used for short-term lets at some point in the last two years – this is equivalent to 19% of the UK's housing stock. Carl Thomson, public policy manager for Airbnb UK, says short-term lets have been "bringing the benefits of tourism to all". "Calls to impose restrictions, red tape and fees only protect hotel chains' profits at the expense of local families," he said. "Two thirds of UK Airbnb hosts also say the additional income helps them keep up with the rising cost of living." This map shows how many properties are being let as holiday homes near you: Too many holiday lets on East Lothian street, residents claim What Spain's holiday rental tourism ban means for British travellers
