The growth of properties offering tourists and visitors accommodation in Orange via the Airbnb online booking system has been pretty amazing.
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Barely two years ago Airbnb was unheard of in Orange, or indeed most regional areas.
Yet Brand Orange executive officer Rhonda Sear reports that a check of Airbnb found that last weekend about 130 houses and 80 rooms in people’s houses were available for rental in Orange.
Most of them are short-term, most of them are well-priced, and many of them will be filled on weekends and public holidays.
And Ms Sear said it has now got to the point that people are actively buying properties in Orange with the main intention of renting them out via Airbnb.
Big city tourists are happy to pay for the privilege of quality accommodation in Orange – particularly when they can share the cost with friends or family for a group getaway weekend.
However, the Airbnb growth has come at a cost.
Traditional bed and breakfast operators said they were losing about 30 per cent of their business to the new, online, and largely unregulated, Airbnb system.
It is regulated by reviews left by owners and renters about their experience for others to read.
However, Airbnb properties are currently not subject to building and insurance regulations and costs that the bed and breakfast owners face.
But, one thing is for sure, and that is that the growth in supply of Airbnb accommodation has been created because there is plenty of demand from people to stay in Orange.
One of Orange’s biggest events, the nationally-known FOOD Week, kicks off later this week.
Demand for the key events, including the sold-out Forage [pictured], is again strong.
The gourmet dollars are happily spent by cashed-up tourists who can afford a trip to Orange for a few days in relative luxury.
While the debate over whether Airbnb properties should be subject to more regulation, or indeed the same as bed and breakfast businesses, is still being heard, meeting the demand for accommodation is a major priority for Orange.
After all, big revenue earning events including FOOD Week and Wine Week will struggle to continue to grow if we cannot provide room at the inn.