Vacation Rentals Essential for Tourism

Vacation rentals have been popular with Iranian travelers for years, which help meet the country's demand for lodging places, especially in the absence of quality hotels.

However, their popularity has raised the objection of hoteliers who pin the sector's dwindling profit margins on vacation rentals' "unauthorized activities", claiming that the hotel industry is suffering losses because more people choose to stay in such places.

According to Farshid Karimi, an expert on tourism and hotel management, it is the right of any tourist to be able to select between a vacation home and a hotel, or other lodging facility and the elimination of the service from the tourism market is an infringement on travelers' rights.

"The increasing number of these homes indicates the huge demand for the service and one cannot simply vote for their elimination," Karimi was quoted as saying by the Persian travel news website Donyayesafar.com.

Karimi stressed that the rentals must continue to serve travelers so that the rights of tourists are preserved but asserted that their disorganized operation poses challenges to the hospitality industry.

"Substandard services, lack of security, arbitrary pricing, absence of insurance and training for the owners and staff are among the consequences of lack of control over vacation rentals," he said.

A number of owners refuse to apply for a permit and run an unauthorized business so as to evade taxes, which is to the detriment of hotel investors.

If operated under an organized system, vacation homes can help meet the country's growing demand for diverse accommodation, especially in tourist regions like the northern provinces.

"The existence of holiday rentals do not contradict the country's tourism policies and can at least function as a stopgap measure before the hotel industry develops sufficiently to meet demands," said Karimi, noting that it normally takes several years for a hotel to become operational.

Instead of questioning the existence of vacation rentals, policies must be devised so that these homes are officially recognized, compelled to meet standards and obey the regulations.

A vacation rental is the renting out of a furnished apartment, house, or professionally managed condominium on a temporary basis to tourists. Villas, suites, rural and nomadic homes also serve as a vacation rental.