Distribución territorial de la oferta de alojamiento de AIRBNB: densidad y evolución en Cuenca, Ecuador

Abstract

The present research study seeks to determine the density and evolution of Airbnb accommodation in the canton Cuenca, on the basis of the variables like location, georeferencing, and offer, type of infrastructure and year of creation, upon a quantitative approach of descriptive-spatial scope. The research comes from the need to determine the amount of accommodations and its growth in the last eight years (2011-2018). Through this study, 376 unregulated Airbnb accommodations were found distributed over 240 houses and 136 buildings, which are offered in 66 full houses, 167 rooms and 160 apartments. The software used is Arc GIS version 10.4 for plotting the findings. Strategies to control this global phenomenon in the city of Cuenca are insufficient; the local government does not have studies on them. Airbnb represents an opportunity to innovate traditional accommodation, however, Airbnb accommodations incur in unfair competition to evade taxes. On the other hand, these can be exploited by the real estate industry or even by citizens given the easy conditions to undertake.