Brisbane locals encouraged to host as footy fans prepare for historic clash
As Brisbane prepares to host the biggest night of the year on the footy calendar, Airbnb is helping Queenslanders roll out their welcome mats and list their homes or spare rooms on Airbnb.
The announcement of Suncorp Stadium as the venue for the grand final this year saw a *20% increase in searches for accommodation on Airbnb in the Brisbane area compared to the previous month, and a **150% increase in searches for this weekend, suggesting fans are eager to be a part of the action as Brisbane hosts the historic clash.
Brisbane Superhost and Airbnb Host of the year finalist Lee Marlburg has seen the excitement building in the city and is looking forward to what’s ahead.
“It’s really exciting. I haven’t had a vacant night in any of our Airbnbs for a long time. It’s great to see and I’m really looking forward to the Grand Final this weekend,” Marlburg said.
“After a busy weekend last week and the Grand Final this weekend, it’s starting to feel like we are getting back to the golden days and are really enjoying it.”
Susan Wheeldon, Airbnb’s Country Manager for Australia and New Zealand, said as rival fans prepare to make their pilgrimage to Brissy for the big game, there’s never been a better time to host on Airbnb.
“If there’s one thing Brisbanites love more than a hard-fought game of footy, it’s showing off the incredible beauty of the River City. As League lovers flock to Brisbane for the grand final, the clash provides the perfect opportunity for savvy Hosts to open up their homes to travelling footy fans and turn their home into an income engine.
“Hosts on Airbnb play a valuable role in making guests feel extremely welcome and our Brisbane Hosts are no exception. Queenslanders are very passionate about showing off the patch they call home – sure to point guests in the direction of the best hidden gems and local businesses to support.
“Many Queensland Hosts on Airbnb share their own home to help combat rising costs of living and meet mortgage repayments. In turn, these Hosts help drive economic growth and job creation in the Brisbane area and many local businesses rely on the valuable tourism dollars spent by Airbnb guests.
“It’s easy to become a Host on Airbnb – in fact our simplified process means you can become a Host in just 10 easy steps. You’re in full control of your availability, prices, house rules, and how you interact with guests and each and every reservation is covered for free by our Million Dollar Host Guarantee and our Host Protection Insurance.”
Footy fans looking to make the most of their trip can also seek inspiration from Airbnb’s new flexible search settings, which include Flexible Dates, Flexible Matching and Flexible Destinations.
Guests are also reminded that they can view their host’s cancellation policy prior to booking. And with our flexible cancellation policy search filter, guests search for listings that offer free cancellation until 24 hours before check-in, avoiding any strict cancellation policy listings from their search results entirely. Hosts recognise that guests are seeking flexibility at these uncertain times, and now almost two thirds of active listings globally offer a moderate or flexible cancellation policy.
To sign-up head to airbnb.com/brisbanegrandfinal2021.
*Figure based on Airbnb internal search data showing searches by Queensland guests for Brisbane listings with a search window from 8th – 14th September, 2021 (when Brisbane was named host city) compared to the corresponding week the month prior.
****Figure based on Airbnb internal search data showing searches by Queensland guests for Brisbane listings for 1-3 October compared to the corresponding weekend a month earlier (September 3-5).