Airbnb unveils short-term rental policy toolkit for Australian policymakers

Michael Crosby, Head of Public Policy, Airbnb Australia and New Zealand speech to the Australian Local Government Association National General Assembly in Canberra

I want to first thank the Australian Local Government Association for once again organising a wonderful program here at the National General Assembly. This is a valuable forum for Mayors, Shire Presidents, councillors and local government officials to connect and share ideas, and it is a great privilege to be here this evening. 

2024 marks the third year of Airbnb’s presence here and we are proud to be a Silver Sponsor of this year’s event.

The theme for this year, Building Community Trust, is very close to our hearts at Airbnb, and has never been more important. 

Since our founding in 2007, Airbnb has welcomed more than 1.5 billion guests around the world. 

Home sharing has been a part of Australia’s visitor economy for decades. Bed and breakfasts, homestays and holiday homes have  been used by generations of Australians to find flexible accommodation options and visit new locations in Australia. 

At Airbnb we have continued to use technology to build trust, and to connect people to homes more easily. 

Our hosts are real people who love their communities, they create jobs, and connect visitors to local businesses in their towns, suburbs and regions. 

Some Australians turn to hosting on Airbnb because they are struggling with the cost of living and need to make ends meet. 

Some are small business owners and entrepreneurs who have been empowered by our platform to participate in the hospitality industry.

Last year, in order to better understand the recovery opportunities created by tourism, we commissioned Oxford Economics to analyse the economic impact of Airbnb after the pandemic. 

Oxford Economics found that Airbnb’s contribution to GDP across Australia over 12 months was $13.6 billion. 

The same study also found that guests on Airbnb spent $12.4 billion in local communities, which supported almost 100,000 jobs across Australia. 

This included in local cafes, bars and restaurants, through to cleaners, laundromats, gardeners and tradespeople.

In this way, the Airbnb supply chain creates a powerful ripple effect that supports local communities and allows travellers from all walks of life to experience new locations. 

Airbnb continues to play a crucial role in the visitor economy throughout Australia, particularly in those locations not well serviced by traditional accommodation. 

The dispersal of tourists outside of traditional holiday destinations means the benefits of tourism can be spread further and wider across Australia – and in some cases for the first time. 

During major and local events, our platform allows everyday people to share the underused spaces in their home to increase accommodation capacity for visitors. 

Members of the community benefit the most, as they have the opportunity to open their doors to guests from near and far – and also to support local businesses.

We recognise that local governments are keen to balance the positive benefits of short-term rentals with the needs of your communities.

Today, we are proud to launch the Short-term Rental Policy Toolkit for Australian Policymakers.

The Toolkit is designed to provide practical solutions and best practice guidance on fair and balanced rules for short-term rentals in Australia. 

We are confident this resource will provide a great starting point for practical and balanced policy solutions.

I would like to share one example from the Policy Toolkit, which is a digital tool that Airbnb has offered to all local governments across the country: the City Portal.

Today, there are more than 100,000 cities and towns across the world with Airbnb listings. This means that we have the opportunity to analyse global trends, and come up with solutions that meet the needs of the communities you serve. 

Airbnb has launched the City Portal as a leading resource to help local governments and tourism organisations better understand the Airbnb landscape and tourism trends in their community. 

The City Portal provides a range of Airbnb data points including:

• data and insights about where guests are travelling from;
• data about the average amount an Airbnb guest spends per day; 
• the latest news and reports from Airbnb for your local area; and
• the top local business recommendations from hosts

We have expanded the City Portal to more than 500 communities around the world – and Airbnb remains the only short-term rental platform that offers this kind of technology to local governments.

The City Portal is available to all local government areas in Australia. Our commitment is that we will work with communities to support rules that balance housing with the benefits of short-term rental hosting.

Finally, one of the great privileges of working for Airbnb is travelling to many communities around Australia and meeting local hosts from all walks of life who are proud to open their homes to visitors. 

I see the benefits of short-term rentals first-hand, whether it’s someone looking to make a few extra dollars by sharing a room in their home, or hosts who open their holiday homes for other families to enjoy.

On behalf of Airbnb please accept our best wishes for a productive and enjoyable National Assembly for 2024.