Bryan Proposes 20 Percent Airbnb Tax to Tackle USVI Housing Shortage and Boost Hotel Occupancy

Governor Albert Bryan Jr. used the 2025 Spring Revenue Estimating Conference as a platform to propose key policy shifts aimed at securing the U.S. Virgin Islands' economic stability amid shifting consumer trends and persistent structural costs.

Speaking candidly before attendees on Friday, Governor Bryan stressed the need for a new approach to how the government analyzes and manages its revenue and expenditure. He reiterated that while revenue projections appear steady, the real concern lies in rising costs. "I don't expect that we're going to have a problem with revenue for the next 10 to 15 years. The problem will be expenses," the governor said in his opening remarks.

Among his most pointed proposals was a call to increase the Airbnb tax to 20 percent. Governor Bryan framed the issue as twofold: shifting short-term visitors back into traditional hotels to support the hospitality industry, and addressing a growing housing crisis for local residents. If "we move the Airbnb tax to like 20 percent, it does two things: it encourages more people to go into hotels," he said, adding that the infrastructure for hotels is already in place and in need of greater occupancy.

Governor Bryan suggested that the growing number of Airbnb units—many of which were once long-term rentals—has contributed to the current housing shortage. By discouraging property owners from listing their units as short-term rentals, the higher tax could help shift more properties back into the long-term rental market, making them accessible to teachers, nurses, and other working residents.