Imagine someone showed up at your house, threw a pile of money on your porch, and said:
“This is from some people who slept here. Don’t worry about the details.”
That’s kind of what Airbnb does.
They collect room taxes from short-term rentals across your city, bundle them up real cute, hand them to the local government, and poof, transaction over.
No guest names. No host contacts. No idea who even stayed, much less who made it happen.
And somehow, we’ve convinced ourselves this is working.
Let’s talk about your supply chain.
Tourism is a product. And products have suppliers.
So here’s the question: Do you know who’s supplying your destination?
Because it’s not just hotels anymore.
It’s hosts. It’s property managers. It’s STR operators who are renting out casitas, cabins, shipping containers, treehouses, and Barbie-themed condos with LED hot tubs and neon signs that say “Good Vibes Only.”
And most of them? You’ve never met. You’ve never onboarded. You’ve never even emailed.
But they’re still paying taxes.
Welcome to the Host Gap™
It’s the giant, gaping disconnect between DMOs and the people actually hosting visitors.
You don’t know who they are. You don’t train them. You don’t equip them. And you don’t loop them into your destination brand strategy.
But Airbnb does.
Airbnb sends them newsletters. Airbnb gives them badges and superhost status. Airbnb owns the loyalty. Airbnb knows the guest journey. Airbnb is out here building relationships.
And you’re out here building… what? A dashboard?
This isn’t about “regulating” STRs.
It’s about realizing that they are your tourism economy now too. And if you’re not the one shaping the visitor experience, someone else will.
Here’s how we fix it:
🔍 Know your hosts. Start a real directory. Not a spreadsheet you never update.
📦 Create a Welcome Host Kit. Printed materials. Visitor guides. Brand assets. Snack-size marketing training. All in one place.
🎉 Throw a Host Day. Invite them in. Feed them cookies. Turn strangers into allies.
🤝 Onboard them like partners. Because if you don’t, Airbnb will.
Final word:
The middleman is getting rich off your room tax. The guests are here. The money is flowing. And the people shaping the visitor experience? You’ve never even said hello.
Let’s fix that.
I’m building Host Kits right now for destinations who want to close the gap and take back the brand.
👀 Want early access? DM me to get on the list before they go wide.
Let’s make tourism better. xo, Jenn
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