The preliminary research report will focus on economic impacts of short- term rentals in houses and apartments for visitors offered through digital platforms in APEC economies and includes a comparative study on current tourist regulations and others on the matter referred to e-commerce, taxation, infrastructure, safety and health, consumer protection, childhood protection, accessibility for people with disabilities, among others. It will involve identifying preliminary key economic variables, assessing data collection feasibility, and conducting initial data analysis to refine the research design. Additionally, the preliminary research report will include information on how short-term rental providers have implemented actions conducive to address gender-based safety concerns, such as harassment or violence. The document will include information about all the APEC economies. 

A combination of methods to gather different perspectives will be used: literature review, discourse analysis, interviews, surveys and quantitative and qualitative data analysis. The length of the preliminary research report must be at least 50 pages and will include, at minimum: introduction, executive summary, results of the feasibility testing (data availability, platform data, government data, surveys, interviews, etc.), preliminary comparative analysis and case studies (in these last ones it will include information about e-commerce, taxation, infrastructure, safety and health, consumer protection, childhood protection, accessibility for people with disabilities, among others). The preliminary research will be completed in December 2025. In the General Information Circular (GIC) prior to the workshop, a brief report will be included summarizing the results of the "Preliminary Research Report" in order to be incorporated to the final report. The report as such will also be circulated among APEC economies as an annex to the GIC. 

This research will be a beneficial tool for tourism authorities and tourism decision-makers in the APEC region to have accurate information to design public policies based on hard evidence, helping to ensure that rules are well-targeted and effective. Additionally, the study provides insight into how different aspects—such as taxation, consumer protection, and safety - impact local economies. Such insights enable policymakers to foresee potential economic disruptions and take appropriate measures. On the other hand, the project highlights key areas which are critical to consumer satisfaction. Short-term rental providers can leverage these insights to improve their service offerings, thereby building stronger trust with customers. Whether through integrating new technologies or improving customer engagement, these insights can drive operational improvements and create a more competitive user experience.

2) Virtual Workshop

This output implies submitting the project briefing as a guidance framework for the succeeding activities. In addition, the preliminary research report will be presented for debate and discussion by a panel. 

The purpose of this event is to present the preliminary findings regarding the economic impacts of short-term rentals in houses and apartments for visitors in APEC economies. To this end, information will be provided concerning statistical data, accessibility for people with disabilities, economic indicators and discourse analysis. The latter aspect is crucial for researchers to uncover differing views on economic impacts and priorities of stakeholders on short-term rentals for visitors. 

Additionally, the workshop will include a session to discuss on how short- term rental providers have implemented actions conducive to address gender-based safety concerns, such as harassment or violence. 

The expected results are a panel discussions summary, workshop synthesis report and possible voluntary recommendations to implement regulatory and non-regulatory interventions on short-term rentals in houses and apartments for visitors offered through digital platforms in APEC economies. These results will contribute to promoting collaboration, the exchange of knowledge and the identification of common challenges to create the conditions necessary for making this business model sustainable and establishing a mechanism for development for local communities within the APEC region. 

The target audience will be tourism national and subnational officials, private sector actors, international tourism associations, academia, specialists in tourism, among others in APEC economies. The workshop will last 3 hours, at the maximum, and will include some interactive activities, such as: word cloud, mind mapping, live Q&A, live polling, etc. It is expected that 50 participants attend the virtual workshop. 

The event will have the following draft agenda: 

a. Opening remarks

b. Project briefing

c. Preliminary results

d. Panel discussion including Q&A (with 2 abroad female experts, at minimum)

e. Moving forward: closing, conclusions and recommendations 

The virtual workshop is expected to take place in March 2026.

3) Final Report

The objective of the final report is to present, in a summarized and concise manner, the results obtained from the research on economic impacts of short-term rentals in houses and apartments for visitors offered through digital platforms and potential regulatory implications in the APEC economies. 

As a result, policymakers will be able to understand the potential economic benefits and costs of these business models, enabling local governments and organizations to effectively plan for the economic development of tourism services. This will provide APEC policymakers with reliable, real-time evidence to consider when evaluating the feasibility of regulatory intervention on short-term rentals in houses and apartments for visitors. 

These inputs will allow APEC economies to learn about other elements to consider in the design of regulatory or non-regulatory interventions that fit market needs and expectations.

This report will be completed in May 2026. The final version will be shared with all APEC economies. The length of the report must be at least 100 pages excluding annexes and will include, at minimum: executive summary, introduction, in-depth comparative analysis (focused on e- commerce, taxation, infrastructure, safety and health, consumer protection, childhood protection, accessibility for people with disabilities, among others), economic impact analysis of short-term rentals, case studies, conclusions, recommendations and annexes. Information from existing research from international will also be included, as well as key findings from the virtual workshop.

Outcome
1) Increased knowledge amongst participant on the economic impacts of short-term rentals and digital platform- based tourism services. This approach ensures that knowledge dissemination reaches a broad audience, benefiting governments, hosts, guests, local businesses, and other stakeholders.

2) Increased knowledge amongst participants for designing tourism policies on short-term rentals for visitors that balance economic development of providers, tourism development and concerns of the local residents. By leveraging the insights from this research, policymakers can craft more effective, balanced, and forward-looking regulations that maximize economic benefits while addressing the concerns of residents and other tourism stakeholders. Furthermore, this approach will support sustainable tourism growth, ensuring that short-term rentals complement local economies development.

Beneficiaries

Primary beneficiaries will be government tourism officials responsible for implementing regulatory and non-regulatory responses, contributing to the improvement of the quality of regulatory processes as well as the strengthening of the institutions and innovation ecosystem, which will lead to improving the quality of life of all citizens through a sustainable and innovative tourism. Secondary beneficiaries will be short-term rentals providers, who will benefit from the implementation of responses that promote innovation in the tourism sector, which will lead to a more satisfactory tourism experience and the positioning of competitive tourist destinations.

-  Tourism policymakers: they will be able to acknowledge into how short-term rentals contribute to economic growth of tourism and identify the level of impact that these businesses have on the occupancy rates of conventional accommodations, housing prices, tourism seasonality, among others. Therefore, regulation will be designed so that they balance economic development, promoting tourism and addressing local concerns. Furthermore, marketing efforts could be implemented attract visitors in a way that benefits the local economy while avoiding over-tourism in certain areas.

They should have experience in implementing tourism policies and regulations to promote business formalization in the tourism sector. Additionally, communication and collaboration skills are essential for exchanging experiences, learning from best practices, and establishing collaboration networks.

Short-term rental hosts: owners and hosts will benefit from clearer government responses that reduce uncertainty regarding their obligations so they can operate more confidently, creating a safer and more efficient environment for both guests and owners or hosts and avoiding legal issues while protecting their investments . They will also be provided with insights into the economic performance of their business model, allowing them to make informed decisions about whether to expand or adjust their rental operations sustainably based on how market trends and conditions impact pricing.