Manila: The city government here plans to require all short-term rental accommodations to register before they can be listed on official tourism platforms, a move aimed at protecting tourists from fraudulent schemes.
According to Philippines News Agency, the 'no registration, no listing' measure prohibits the advertisement or booking of short-term rental units without a valid city-issued registration number. All listings must clearly display the registration number, which serves as proof of compliance with local requirements and ensures transparency for both platforms and consumers.
Councilor Yuri Weygan stated that the measure establishes a centralized Short-Term Rental registry, which will serve as the official database of all compliant rental units and the basis for issuing unique registration numbers. The registry will be accessible through the city's VISITA (Visitors Information and Travel Assistant) website, a tourism information platform managed by the City Tourism Office.
The VISITA platform, initially launched during the pandemic as a visitor registration system, has expanded to offer tourism-related services, including assistance for visitors seeking legitimate accommodations in Baguio. The measure will also require digital platforms and intermediaries operating in the city to verify registration numbers before allowing accommodations to be listed.
Platforms must display the registration numbers in advertisements, remove unregistered listings upon notice from the city government, and prevent violators from posting new listings. This initiative was prompted by reports of accommodation scams victimizing tourists, who paid for rentals that either do not exist or did not match the descriptions provided online.
"This is a welcome development because while scammers are not from Baguio, they use the popularity of the city as a tourist destination to scam vulnerable people who desire to find a good place to stay and relax while vacationing in the city," City Tourism Officer Aloysius Mapalo said in an earlier interview.
