Airbnb Estimated Direct Economic Impact Exceeds $100 Billion in One Year

Airbnb’s mission is to create a world where anyone can belong anywhere. To advance our mission, we are focused on reimagining travel by building an end-to-end travel platform that combines where you stay, what you do, and how you get there, all in one place. As our community continues to grow, we are generating substantial economic benefits for hosts and communities. According to new survey findings and an analysis of internal data released today, Airbnb’s host and guest community generated over $100 billion in estimated direct economic impact across 30 countries in 2018 alone*.

Unlike other business models that siphon the money they generate out of communities, Airbnb activity directly benefits the communities our hosts call home. Since Airbnb was founded, hosts have earned over $65 billion that many use to pay the bills and pursue their passions. Small businesses – many of which are located outside of the traditional tourist districts – also benefit from Airbnb guests, many of whom spend the money they save on accommodations at local establishments. 

This growth has come as Airbnb helps spread the benefits of tourism to some of the least visited destinations in the world, as well. Between 2016 and 2018, guest arrivals of travelers on the Airbnb platform increased substantially in places like Moldova (190%), Vanuatu (187%) and New Caledonia (175%). 

According to an Airbnb survey of more than 228,000 responses from our host and guest community around the world:

• 84 percent of Airbnb hosts say they recommend restaurants and cafes to guests.
• 69 percent of Airbnb hosts say they recommend cultural activities such as museums, festivals, and historical sites to guests.
• 51 percent of Airbnb hosts say hosting has helped them afford their homes.
• On average, Airbnb guests say 42 percent of their spending occurs in the neighborhood where they stay.
• 50 percent of guests say they spent the money they saved by staying on Airbnb in the cities and neighborhoods they visited.
• 70 percent of guests say wanting to explore a specific neighborhood matters in their decision to use Airbnb.
• 86 percent of guests say the location being more convenient than hotels matters in their decision to use Airbnb.
• Guests who say Airbnb impacted the length of their stay on average added 4.3 days to their trip.

Airbnb Direct Economic Impact in 2018 (30 countries ) 

Based on Host Income and Estimated Guest Spending- in USD during trip

1. USA: 33.8 billion
2. France: 10.8 billion
3. Spain: 6.9 billion
4. Italy: 6.4 billion
5. UK: 5.6 billion
6. Australia: 4.4 billion
7. Canada 4.3 billion
8. Japan: 3.5 billion
9. Mexico: 2.7 billion
10. Portugal: 2.3 billion
11. Germany: 2.3 billion
12. China: 2.3 billion
13.  Brazil 2.1 billion
14.  Greece: 1.4 billion
15.  Netherlands: 1.3 billion
16. Korea: 1.2 billion
17. Thailand: 1.1 billion
18. New Zealand: 912 million
19. Croatia: 910 million
20. Ireland: 832 million
21. Malaysia: 734 million
22. South Africa: 685 million
23. Argentina: 664 million
24. Denmark: 654 million
25. Switzerland: 651 million
26. Austria: 625 million
27. Indonesia: 593 million 
28. Philippines: 586 million 
29. Colombia: 560 million 
30. Czech Republic: 555 million

As Airbnb grows, we look forward to continuing to share data on our direct economic impact in communities around the world. 

*2018 estimated direct economic impact is the sum of Homes host earnings and estimated guest spending. Host earnings is based on internal Airbnb data. Estimated guest spending is based on nearly 12,000 responses to a voluntary survey sent to a sample of Airbnb guest accounts that had taken a trip to those countries in 2018. No payment or other incentive was provided in exchange for completing the survey.