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How short-term rentals could affect St. Albert’s hospitality industry BY LESLIE VERMEER
FREQUENT TRAVELER NICOLE Brenda can’t
say enough great things about staying over in a short-term rental. “It saves money,” says Brenda, who’s sacked out at many of these joints, including several in Alberta. “It’s less expensive than staying in a hotel, and we’re supporting local people instead of a big chain.” She isn’t alone in her praise. Short-term rentals have been a boon to travelers like Brenda in recent years, thanks to the emergence of the share market in the hospitality industry. Spearheaded by online service Airbnb, this latest wave in home-based accommodation is expected to generate more than $170 billion worldwide this year. With roughly a dozen St. Albert residences on board and hundreds of others in Edmonton and surrounding area, those who facilitate short-term rentals see it as a convenient supplementary source of revenue. While a short-term rental is often mistaken for a more traditional bed and breakfast spot, it differs greatly in that it doesn’t require licensing, permits or such mandatory stipulations as owners needing to live on the premises being used for lodging. “It’s a great source of additional income you wouldn’t otherwise have,” said Edmonton businessman Chris Vilcsak, who admittedly doesn’t own a short-term rental in St. Albert, but has reaped returns on a domed home he has in Sedona, Arizona, where it’s available for tourists to rent. Like almost all of the
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