Digital Lemonade

I’m off this weekend for my first airbnb.com experience and I must say, I’m jumping inside! Not only to visit an exciting travel destination but, to have this social experience and then share it when I am finished. This is the future people.. hotel operators and travel industry professionals better be listening.

Best said on this experience is below: “A social connection is why conferences, social events and excursions still sell. We attend them to enjoy a social setting that empowers us to find knowledge, insights and a human connection that could forever influence our future. The power of the web really lies in the ability to further promote destinations while also creating a more user friendly experience while there in the flesh. The web gives us an opportunity to travel and never be alone. To always be connected and to always have an opportunity to truly experience the culture of a destination.”

That said.. a new argument is forming. Who is responsible if ‘renters’ are ‘renting’ out their airbnb flat illegally?  Should airbnb.com pay a hotel tax, as hotels do?  What type of social implications are involved if airbnb guests disrupt neighbors? I would like to say these are minimal arguments but, in a city like San Francisco where airbnb has a saturated marketplace & property taxes are high, it is a valid argument. Read more here on a local SF thread.