The AHQ hotel association of Québec is delighted with the agreement the Government of Québec and the Airbnb home-sharing service just finalized. Effective October 1, 2017, Airbnb will start collecting the tax on lodging on bookings made through its listings. This new procedure will apply to all bookings less than 31 days.

The process could be extended to all other accommodation platforms.

“The new agreement is a step in the right direction, following the adoption of Bill 67 on illegal accommodations in Québec. There are nonetheless other challenges that still need to be addressed, namely establishments that offer unlicensed tourist accommodations and operate illegally without a permit,” points out AHQ Chairman Benoit Sirard.

So the application of Bill 67 may continue to move forward and its policies can evolve alongside the new technologies and business practices constantly being developed, the AHQ is seizing the news of the lodging tax remittance agreement to announce it will be setting up a working committee tasked with tracking and monitoring Bill 67.

“This committee will be made up of regional hotel association representatives, one Airbnb official, and representatives of organizations affected by the issue of illegal accommodations. The committee’s purpose will be to find ideas for solutions and recommend them to the government to ensure the Bill is always in lockstep with new booking trends and the ever-growing sharing economy. The committee will also look to define what constitutes occasional accommodations,” explains the Executive Director of the AHQ, Xavier Gret.

The committee will begin work by this fall.

About the AHQ

The AHQ is the only umbrella association of rated hotels in Québec. It also represents B&Bs, apartment hotels and other types of hospitality providers interested in joining its ranks. Their mandate is to advocate for its members, offer them services, defend their interests and provide them with the tools and resources for continually improving the competitiveness of the Québec hotel industry.

Source:          Xavier Gret
Executive Director, AHQ
(579) 721-6215
xgret@hotelleriequebec.com

Articles de référence - xgret@hotelleriequebec.com.