KOTA KINABLU: Short-term accomodations (STAs) or home-sharing can co-exist with star-rated hotels and budget hotels as they cater for different categories of tourists, said Sabah Association of Tour and Travel Agents (SATTA) President Datuk Seri Winston Liaw.
Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (MATTA) President Datuk Tan Kok Liang said regulating STAs was along overdue issue, adding that there has been much leakage in taxation when it came to this business.
Tan said encouraging STA operations, which was usually catered towards cost-conscious travellers, would have adverse effects in the long term.
He said tourist arrivals in the next few years was not expected to be on a double digit increase and hotels were recording lower occupancy rate due to loss in market share to cost-conscious and budget travellers.