MONTEGO BAY, Jamaica — Minister of Tourism, Edmund Bartlett, says that the Government has no intention of imposing a tax on people who are renting their homes or providing space for travellers who have booked through Airbnb.

“I have heard the false reports, especially on social media… [but] nothing could be further from the truth, as we have had no such discussion.

“What we have discussed is an administrative charge being levied on Airbnb, which will in no way, shape or form affect what is being paid over by Airbnb to property owners”.

Bartlett, who was speaking at a fundraising event at the Jewel Grande Montego Bay Hotel & Spa in Rose Hall, St James, recently, said that many Jamaicans continue to make a good living from being a part of the Airbnb global network and he is encouraging more people to join the programme.

“There have been a lot of success stories going on around the country. It is very heart warming to see small properties in places like Port Antonio… now getting a new lease on life courtesy of Airbnb,” he said.

“What you are finding is that tourism is now actively alive and well in places. All over Jamaica… in Trench Town, in Spanish Town, in Clarendon…the Airbnb fever has caught on,” Bartlett noted.

He added that the programme is also assisting with promoting Jamaica as a destination, pointing to the level of interaction and the friendships being developed between hosts and guests.

“This is community tourism at its best. I keep saying everywhere I go that Jamaica’s biggest and most iconic asset is its people, and that is what I am seeing with those who are on the Airbnb programme. They are feeling what it is like to be a part of tourism. Rooms are being added to provide more space, and repeat visitors are coming back in droves,” he said.

Airbnb is an online marketplace, which enables people to rent their properties to guests.