The OuiShare Awards focus this year on rewarding change-making initiatives, in line with the OuiShare Fest theme "Lost in Transition". As there is an ongoing online vote, we would like to introduce you our 14 nominees and specifically ask them "What is the Change?" they bring through their initiatives. Read their answers and vote for your favorite projects until May 21st!
https://www.youtube.com/embed/kEdV0nWfkMU
Get to know Yottotel!
Nominated in the Collaborative Consumption category, Yottotel is a social network designed and promoted by hosts who wish to become more resourceful, empowered and assure a real local experience to travelers, providing a human touch and connecting them to local P2P communities. Rafael Martínez-Cortiña, CEO of Yottotel answered our questions:
1. What got you started with your initiative?
"Yottotel arises from the needs of its promoters to survive in the home sharing sector after recent restrictive regulation. Home sharing used to be auto regulated and attracted people interested in sharing their things with their peers. Recent regulations on home sharing have excluded citizens who were previously providing a great response to demand and enjoyed a good digital reputation from their peers. Current regulation on home sharing has introduced greater operational difficulties on legal, fiscal and organizational levels to citizens. Regulations have brought new fixed costs associated with home sharing, making it unprofitable for some and expelling others from the market. Restrictive regulations have resulted in more vulnerable individuals who now need to operate together in order not to be excluded from the sharing economy. Yottotel is a social network of connectors and travelers belonging to the Airbnb community. It is a logical new step in a new sector (home sharing) that has experienced a high growth and recent restrictive regulatory developments. Circumstances now might require the efficient organization of the sector, while maintaining our authenticity as peers."
2. What Change does your initiative bring?
"Yottotel makes the sharing economy more attractive in cities with a restrictive regulation on home sharing. A simple nonprofit collaboration scheme designed and implemented by trustworthy citizen peers overcomes our difficulties as individuals by joining talents and creating new patterns. Yottotel allows the members of our community (YottaConnectors) to connect our guests to local P2P communities, with access through money or time. The collaboration scheme designed by hosts for hosts and guests allows security, efficiency, connection, trust and empathy. Yottotel is about collaboration among citizens into the sharing economy, who share values and really feel as peers. Internal organization is based on talents, structured through efficient professional solutions. Trust allows us to make an income and provides an online reputation. Our peers access to a 21st century P2P structure that allows them to get far more than a 20th century B2C equivalent (hotel), paying less. Local knowledge allows us to connect all our guests to unique local experiences and provide exceptional emotions. Yottotel empowers hosts and connects guests to local experiences, promoting more local collaboration. Yottotel is a business association which preserves the authenticity of the citizen/peer."
Would like to support Yottotel?
And join us at the OuiShare Fest 2015 for the pitchs session!