I guess the attempt of letting a free market function, sometimes leads to monopolies. I remember when taxi drivers had to reduce their fares because of Uber, we got an instant benefit from it. Then they became the norm and started to raise prices, now an Uber is as expensive as a taxi. Which doesn't make sense, since taxis need to pay expensive licenses to operate. I can see the Spanish government doing something about it if it becomes a problem. AirBnB has been always a dodgy option in Spain, it has never become an accommodation that someone would recommend, so it makes sense that the government is acting against it. As a note, the Spanish government never tried to close Uber down. They present a risk to taxi drivers, but we understand it as a free competence, they provide a service and you choose the company you want, that's all. AirBnB on the contrary is a clear threat to health and safety rules for neighborhoods, so it is very apparent that it has to be controlled. Another company that got a hit is Glovo, I don't know if it is popular in the US. You must have equivalents there. They employed false contractor as riders, causing very poor labor conditions for them. In Europe if something is against the population they will shut it down as soon as they can, regardless if you think it is communism or not. Governments do not take the risk of letting companies to take over public services, specially in health care or food related matters. They will not allow it. Riots spread too easily all over if they do. People start setting things on fire immediately, it is a common theme around here.
The classic bait-and-switch by Uber. Now you are stuck with Uber since Taxis will eventually disappear due to them paying taxes & licences fees. Like Amazon bankrupting bookstores by selling below cost and then raising prices after the bookstore collapses. Walmart bankrupted all the local retail stores in rural USA with the same tactics. I read the story of Glovo and its founder modeled it after Postmates. I guess he went to college in the US and decided to do it himself in Spain. Its currently owned by Delivery Hero. US has a lot of these delivery companies. They are very popular in Asia as well. Even Uber does it. Uber Eats is very popular here in the SF bay area.
Ah you could've charged them $$ for allowing them to pose with you. What's wrong with you? You are a trader, I expect you to be more entrepreneurial than that. LOL
biggest joke is it's now becoming the SAME price to stay in a hotel as an Airbnb. Have the amenities of a hotel, no 'cleaning fees' airbnb charges, sometime janky places. same price? why wouldn't you stay in a hotel? Airbnb is getting absurd. so 100% of every city will have airbnb's and tourists constantly staying in them? for Airbnb to make sense the prices should be no more than 50% of a regular hotel.
Airbnb, Uber, Grab... They all exist because there's huge demand for their services. In the process they've ruffled a few feathers with established monopolies, unions and local governments. With time they also modified "the way things were" which sometimes led to unintended consequences. Airbnb worked out exceptionally well for us for 10 years from 2009 and I believe that's what the founders intended their platform to be, a welcome alternative to the cookie cutter corporate hotel chains and restaurants and resorts found around the globe. We use Airbnb whenever we travel, to experience localism and hope to learn something worthwhile from other cultures in the process. I do however see how the intent was perverted over time by investment schemes, abuses from hosts and guests which not only ruined it for the traditional purveyors of tourist infrastructures but also for locals who suddenly found themselves on the receiving end of a seemingly harmless activity between 2 parties that turned into aggravation for the neighborhood. Too much of a good thing ruins it. I believe this is the reason why governments are clamping back on tourism in general. It's become too populist, too affordable, too entitled, too disrespectful. I keep saying, the way to control the absurd growth of misbehavior in airplanes is to triple the price of flights. Governments are responding to popular and corporate complaints, unless the popular is nothing more that corporate staff spreading negativity for fear of losing their tourism jobs; we'll never know. But the fact is, the Airbnb trade involves no government taxation and an added incentive to shut it down. I'm more upset by those who figured out and abused the system, buying apartments and properties for the sole purpose of monetizing the investment with Airbnb stays. A $400k property investment in Bali could be paid off within 5 years in 2022. Today there's an over supply of rental properties, a new build is closer to $600k and the local government is tightening rules at the request of hotels... The market is ripe for a crash.