Airbnb is calling on the Queensland state government to introduce a ‘bed tax’ for guests staying in any Queensland Bread and Breakfasts or hotels, in the hopes to boost local infrastructure.
Under a model, guests would be expected to pay a 5 per cent surcharge for their short-term stay.
Airbnb Head of Public Policy for Australia and New Zealand, Brent Thomas, says small Queensland towns with only a few thousand residents are inundated with tourists during summer and school holidays, putting pressure on council budgets.
He states "the costs of building and maintaining the infrastructure needed to accommodate those huge influxes falls primarily on the small resident population - locals paying through their council rates."
While Mr Thomas believes a statewide bed tax is a fair and sustainable solution, the state government is unconvinced.