New York City’s Short-Term Rental Verification System Fails to Launch

Good morning from Skift. It’s Wednesday, September 6. Here’s what you need to know about the business of travel today.

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Episode Notes

September 5 was the beginning of New York City’s host registration rules. However, the city’s electronic verification system isn’t ready yet, reports Executive Editor Dennis Schaal. 

Three sources familiar with the new process said the city hadn’t completed implementing the system for verifying listings with short-term rental platforms like Airbnb. Hosts with shared rooms need to obtain registration from the city to legally accommodate a maximum of two guests. Hosts also need to be present during the stay. 

Schaal notes that platforms such as Airbnb could face fines of $1,500 per transaction processed from an unverified listing. Airbnb said in a court filing this June that it has to remove a listing to avoid penalties when a verification fails. 

Next, as the pandemic is over, what does the future of tourism look like? Global Tourism Reporter Dawit Habtemariam explores five critical issues industry executives will address at this month’s Skift Global Forum.

Habtemariam writes that leaders from brands such as the U.S. Travel Association and NYC Tourism+Conventions will discuss topics like the absence of Chinese tourists and the relationship between empty downtown offices and tourism. Brand USA CEO Chris Thompson said there’s no U.S. tourism recovery without Chinese travelers. The CEOs of Visit Britain and Intrepid Travel will also touch on the challenges of trying to encourage travelers to visit hidden gems – sites beyond the well-known tourist attractions.

Finally, several major U.S. cities are facing hurdles in their recovery from the pandemic, so are they struggling to attract tourists? Associate Editor Rashaad Jorden turns to Ask Skift, our artificial intelligence chatbot, for answers.

Jorden writes challenges such as U.S. visitor visa delays that have complicated attracting tourists from key overseas markets. However, several large U.S. cities are still putting up big tourism numbers. New York City is projected to welcome at least 6 million more visitors this year than it did last year. In addition, international passenger traffic at Boston’s Logan Airport has already recovered to pre-Covid levels.