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Airbnb Guests and Hosts Opting for a Greener World Ahead of Earth Day

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Since the very beginning, Airbnb has been committed to promoting and supporting healthy, sustainable tourism, and we’re seeing a similar dedication to the environment from our guests and hosts ahead of Earth Day.

Last month, we celebrated the fact that half a billion guests have checked in at Airbnb listings worldwide since the company was founded, and in the last year alone, we’ve had 4.5 million guests check in at eco-friendly listings on the platform. Additionally we’ve seen bookings increase by 50 percent specifically for environmentally-conscious spaces*.

We’re also seeing more and more hosts on Airbnb provide guests with the opportunity to immerse themselves in nature and reduce their carbon footprint while away from home with 30 percent growth in eco-friendly listings globally over the past year**.

Hosts Lyanne and Marcelo, for example are providing unique, eco-friendly accommodations to guests in Florianópolis, Brazil. All five listings on their home property are built by hand, utilizing unused spaces and recycled materials, and they are developing solar water heating on the property. They also educate their guests about how to travel greener, teaching them how to collect unfiltered rainwater and use runoff from outdoor showers to irrigate gardens.

From a forest town in Oklahoma to the “Switzerland of Mexico”, destinations with the highest percentage of eco-friendly listings on Airbnb*** are all steps away from nature and considered small-town escapes from the hustle and bustle of their surrounding major cities. From a cabin in Norway, a safari tent in South Africa, to a treehouse in Mexico, there is a vast collection of Homes that are reducing the impact on the planet while providing guests the chance to give back to Mother Earth.

Destinations with the highest percentage of eco-friendly listings:

Guests on Airbnb can also fuel their affinity for the environment by exploring the variety of Social Impact Experiences that both benefit the planet and introduce them to local experts and advocates in environmental sustainability – either in their hometown or  when traveling. Sharing a sampling below:

Airbnb is also working to bring environmentally conscious travel to even more people. For example, Airbnb’s Community Tourism Programme is partnering with My Green Trip, a growing network of eco-friendly travelers dedicated to organizing community clean-ups and sharing sustainable travel habits. This year, we are committing 5 million euros to support efforts to make travel more authentic and sustainable.

And in China, Airbnb signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Friends of Nature, a prominent NGO focusing on environmental protection issues. Through the MoU, Airbnb will work with Friends of Nature to promote sustainable tourism in China, host a series of lectures to educate the Airbnb community on sustainable tourism, and conduct workshops for hosts on sustainable hospitality standards and practices.

*Based on Airbnb internal data of year-over-year growth globally in guest arrivals to eco-friendly active listings (defined by space types listed below), comparing April 1, 2018 to April 1, 2019.

**Based on Airbnb internal data of year-over-year growth globally in eco-friendly active listings (defined by space types listed below), comparing April 1, 2018 to April 1, 2019.

***Based on Airbnb internal data of cities with the highest percentage of eco-friendly Homes – as defined by hosts – as of April 4, 2019. (Eco-friendly listings are defined as the following spacetypes: ‘Earthhouse’, ‘Yurt’, ‘Treehouse’, ‘Tent’, ‘Nature Lodge’, ‘Cabin’)

The Airbnb Press Room is aimed at journalists. All Homes and Experiences referenced on the Airbnb Press Room are intended purely to inspire and illustrate. Airbnb does not recommend or endorse specific Home or Experience listings on the Airbnb platform.
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