This is not news to many. Since the start of the year or even before, there has been news that the Japan Government would be intervening in the hospitality sector and addressing issues of hosting and accommodation. Some reasons were due to outcries by the Hotel industry, and also due to trying to increase capacity in anticipation of hosting more tourists en route 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
So on one hand, Japan wants more tourists, but on the other hand, there's limited space to host them. So comes Airbnb. But again, it's also quite a dilemma and issue for the government to solve, as the hotel seniors come breathing down their necks about loss of business and such.
So we will leave this to Airbnb and regulators to solve, as they are doing now. Let's talk about something more personal and how this will actually affect us as tourists to Japan.
I had booked and planned my Japan trip with my friends months ago, probably from March. My flight is settled, and my accommodation was also settled 2 months back. The problem now is, I booked an Airbnb, and my trip is in July. I have always had a good experience with Airbnb bookings, and they are indeed my go-to accommodation choice in Japan.
1 month ago, I saw on Facebook that many of my peers were heading to Japan for their University Grad Trips, and they had problems with their Airbnb Bookings in Tokyo. I immediately went to check my inbox to see if my booking was still there, and there it remained, nothing changed. I thought to myself that maybe my booking was fine, probably because it wasn't Tokyo? My friends had found alternative places to stay and I would say that it only caused slight inconvenience overall.
Nothing happened on my end until last week, when I received this email from Airbnb Support.
I wouldn't say that I was surprised to see this, but after reading through the email, it actually didn't seem that bad.
For other travelers who are affected by this and are heading to Japan soon, you could take Airbnb up on their offer. You can essentially cancel the booking, get a full refund, book a new accommodation with the original amount, get a voucher worth up to the original amount for an entirely new and separate booking another time, and a bonus $100 Airbnb Experience voucher.
It seems to me that Airbnb Japan is putting quite alot of effort and finances in order to make this work. In my opinion, if you are inconvenienced by the issue, this would be a rather good deal to take.
In my case, I wouldn't mind taking up this offer, but I had messaged my Airbnb host prior to this to check if she was in the midst of achieving the regulation license and she told me not to worry and that this would be done before I reach Japan. Personally I trust my host and wouldn't go cancelling on her right away, but this is a risk that I am taking. I am opting for option 3, the Wait-and-see option. In the worst case scenario, I will contact Airbnb support to figure out what options I have for a last-minute stay, but in my mind I already have a few ideas (Staying at a KTV, playing games at the Arcade overnight, Manga Cafes, Capsule Hotels etc). If you're travelling with family, then these options are probably too wild.
I think I will be able to give an update of my housing situation closer to the end of July, as my host would need some time to get the license details to Airbnb. But in the meantime, I don't think there's anything to worry about as Airbnb Support is able to help. If I do end up cancelling this arrangement, the deal offered by Airbnb isn't too bad either!
Posted from my blog with SteemPress : http://seanytan.vornix.blog/2018/06/19/will-my-airbnb-accommodation-be-cancelled-what-should-you-do/