Airbnb and Gold Coast Tourism partner to grow tourism pie

In an Australian-first, Gold Coast Tourism and Airbnb have entered a partnership to share data and boost tourism to the region.

As part of the agreement, Airbnb will share data with Gold Coast Tourism to better inform decisions around marketing programs, audience segmentation and the changing face of travel and business accommodation generally.

Gold Coast Tourism Chief Executive Officer Martin Winter said “This data is currently missing from our statistical suite and this agreement will give us insight to a whole segment of the Gold Coast travel and accommodation market that we haven’t had before.”

Airbnb’s Australia and New Zealand Country Manager Sam McDonagh said “This ground-breaking partnership is a prime example of how Airbnb is working collaboratively with the industry to grow the tourism pie.

“Already, our dedicated host community is helping the Gold Coast host more people and support the local tourism sector. Everyone in the Gold Coast – hosts, small businesses, hotels – share the benefits from Airbnb guests staying longer, spending more and spending outside traditional tourist areas.

“There has never been a better time for Gold Coast locals to consider sharing their home, with 2018 set to be a blockbuster for the region and with the region’s future looking as bright as ever.”

There are currently more than 3,000 Airbnb listings on the Gold Coast. Airbnb hosts on the Gold Coast earn on average AUD$5,200 a year, with the typical Airbnb listed for just 32 nights per year.

Deloitte Access Economics found in 2015-16 the Airbnb community contributed more than $217 million to Queensland’s Gross State Product and supported more than 2,115 local jobs, including more than 1,500 jobs in regional areas.