ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the degree to which hotels in the islands are being impacted by vacation rentals (VRs) and Airbnb. To what extent are VRs becoming the wave of the future in The Bahamas hospitality industry since they have become popular among tourists. Several Bahamian vacation rental hosts were interviewed to ascertain their views of the online VRs and their involvement in the business; are the local VRs competing with the hotel business and are VRs economically viable for residents. The interviews revealed the local hosts saw a new avenue to supplement their incomes and become stakeholders in an area previously not easily accessible to them. Further, the enactment of a pending legislation by the Government regulating the VRs is a step in the right direction for hotels and vacation rentals. If seen as fair to both parties, it should level the playing field and bring some balance and harmony to a developing competition for tourist visitors.
