David Collado: Airbnb regulations improve tourist safety, not raise taxes

Tourism Minister David Collado made it clear: regulating Airbnb-style accommodations is not an excuse to raise taxes, it's a measure to protect tourists. The government will create a mandatory national registry for these short-term rentals, as reported by Dominican Today. Collado insists the goal is to improve safety for travelers who choose this type of stay, a point that, in my view, is crucial to maintaining trust in the destination.

The initiative aims to bring order to a market that has grown unchecked. Many property owners operate informally, without the minimum safety standards required of a resort or registered hotel. With this registry, MITUR can ensure every accommodation meets basic requirements: fire extinguishers, emergency exits, liability insurance. This is not a witch hunt: it's bringing rules to the jungle so we all play on a level field.

At Turismo News, we applaud that Collado flatly rules out a tax hike. The temptation to use regulation as a fiscal excuse is always there, but the minister has been blunt: safety not revenue. That's smart and gives confidence to investors. Now we need to see the fine print: how will enforcement work? What happens to existing hosts? But the direction is right, as noted in the Dominican Today article.