Airbnb launches Good Guest Guide for hosts to share with guests

From left to right: Tim Harris, Velma Corcoran and Muneeb Hendricks

At a recent safety meet-up with Airbnb hosts, Wesgro CEO, Tim Harris addressed hosts and local tourism entrepreneurs about the importance of making a tourist feel safe before and during their holiday. Harris highlighted some simple tips to do this. He also spoke about up-to-date information regarding safety measures for the Western Cape.

Hosts who attended the safety meet-up also joined a CCID safety workshop, led by Muneeb Hendricks, Safety and Security Manager at CCID.

Safety is everyone’s business. We all need to work together to ensure our tourists not only enjoy their stay in Cape Town and the Western Cape, but that they want to return.

Five top tips from the 'Good Guest Guide':

1. Tipping: We tend to tip generously! Tipping in restaurants (at least 10%) is highly recommended

2. Saving water: We sometimes experience water scarcity in South Africa, so we all save water

3. Preventing waste: Please help us preserve this great destination for all; don’t leave litter anywhere apart from in the bin at home

4. Protecting the wildlife: We have some of the most diverse and beautiful wildlife in the world, but it can also be fragile! Please look out for official signs and don’t feed or touch the animals

5. Find meaningful ways to experience local townships: Why not take a cooking class, go for a run with a local - or learn new photography skills? There are many rich and respectful experiences to be had - you can find a range of them on Airbnb.

"We are delighted to be working with Airbnb to speak about the collaborative communication approach around tourism safety with local hosts and tourism entrepreneurs across the region. The Western Cape is a superb destination for every type of traveller from around the world, and we have developed these initiatives to ensure their experience is the most enjoyable one possible," says Tim Harris, Wesgro CEO.

Our hosts on Airbnb are local entrepreneurs who want to share the benefits of tourism and ensure their guests have the best time possible in the Western Cape, safely.

"Our hosts on Airbnb are local entrepreneurs who want to share the benefits of tourism and ensure their guests have the best time possible in the Western Cape, safely. We are proud to be working with Wesgro and CCID to highlight expert safety advice with our host community, as well as launch our good guest guide, ensuring tourism continues to bring positive benefits to the region," says Velma Corcoran, country manager for South Africa at Airbnb.

To further enhance safety on the platform, Airbnb recently announced a number of extra safety measures including the verification of all seven million listings on Airbnb. The company has announced that homes will be verified for accuracy of the listing (including accuracy of photos, addresses, and listing details) and quality standards (including cleanliness, safety, and basic home amenities) and those that meet the high expectations will be clearly labelled.

By December 15, 2020, every home and every host on Airbnb will be reviewed with the objective of 100% verification.