WASHINGTON — Many cities have been challenged by the increasing popularity of sites like Airbnb, which allow people to rent a private home much like they would a hotel room.
However, resort towns like Ocean City, Maryland are loving the innovation that helps visitors come to town.
“For us as a tourist attraction, to be open and to be welcoming of new forms of travel for those who want to visit us, I think it’s great that people are choosing different options,” Town of Ocean City spokeswoman Jessica Waters told WTOP.
But those new options raise new challenges, often an issue in some communities that may miss out on collecting hotel taxes.
It’s not a new issue for Ocean City.
“There are several sites out there that kind of offer similar options” like Craigslist, Waters mentioned. “So our staff is really used to checking outside of the box and find properties that aren’t adhering to the rules.”
Those rules include following town code and having the proper licensing to rent out the property in the beach town. Waters says she doesn’t expect there to be any major issues with people using Airbnb in Ocean City.
“We’re just happy to have people come here.”
Waters says having a wide range of options, like hotels, Airbnb, and other rental services make it easier for people to make the trip over to the Eastern Shore for a getaway.
