NSW prepares for return of travel

Key Takeaways

  • From 1 November, international and regional travel will return to New South Wales.
  • As travel returns, Hosts on Airbnb and their communities stand to benefit from the economic boost driven by the visitor economy.

Key Takeaways

  • From 1 November, international and regional travel will return to New South Wales.
  • As travel returns, Hosts on Airbnb and their communities stand to benefit from the economic boost driven by the visitor economy.

After a challenging time, the return of travel is just around the corner, and there’s never been a better time for people in NSW to become Hosts on Airbnb for the first time.

From 1 November, international and regional travel will return to New South Wales, with interstate travel for some states not far behind. As travel returns, Hosts on Airbnb and their communities stand to benefit from the economic boost driven by the visitor economy. That’s particularly true for those in regional NSW as greater flexibility, and increasingly blurring lines between travel and living, allows people to explore their own backyard like never before. 

For those thinking about becoming a Host for the first time – and potentially offsetting the cost of their own summer adventures – they can head to Airbnb.com/Host and check out the “What’s my place worth” tool which calculates the estimated income, based on geography, type of listing, and also using prior Airbnb booking data in the area, they could earn by sharing their space on Airbnb in most parts of Australia.* From July 1 2020 to 30 June 2021, the average annual earnings for an Australian Host who had welcomed at least one guest was over AU$24,000.

The date also coincides with another important milestone for Hosts on Airbnb, as new rules requiring short term rental accommodation Hosts to register their properties with the NSW Government come into effect. We’ve been working closely with Hosts and the NSW Government to help them understand and meet their obligations for the 1 November registration requirements, and have communicated these changes over the past year via numerous channels, including via email and a series of interactive webinar sessions.

“Following a significant period of travel restrictions that have impacted the entire tourism economy, we know that NSW Hosts are excited about the imminent return of international, as well as regional and interstate travel, and will be turning their focus to welcoming guests into their communities,” said Susan Wheeldon, Airbnb’s Country Manager for Australia and New Zealand.

“Having worked closely with Hosts to help them understand and meet their obligations, we know that they’ve welcomed the clarity and certainty that these new rules have brought to support their hosting business.”

“To date, the majority of active** Airbnb listings in NSW have registered or sought exemptions and the majority of listings that have not yet completed the registration process as of 26 October have not hosted guests over the past year. As borders open and intra-state travel restrictions are lifted, we expect more hosts to complete the process.”

Research by Oxford Economics*** commissioned by Airbnb found that in 2019 the platform’s community supported 33,800 jobs in NSW.

Notes:

*The What’s My Place Worth tool computes the estimated income through inputs for geography, type of listing and space and factors in prior Airbnb booking data in the area. We make a few simple assumptions and calculations to determine your earnings:

  • If you have an entire place, we assume you can host four guests. If you’re listing a private room, we count that as two guests, and for a shared room, just one guest. You can change your selections in the drop-down menu any time.
  • We take the median nightly price (before expenses, fees and taxes) based on booking data in your area from the last 12 months.
  • We then multiply that price by the total number of occupied nights to get the monthly earnings estimate. To estimate the number of nights that you might host, we look at how often others in your area are hosting.

Keep in mind, these are just estimates. How much you actually earn depends on a number of other factors such as your availability, price, acceptance and cancellation rates, any legal restrictions, and demand in your area.

**Meaning listings that have had a booking during the past year (percentage as at 26 October 2021)

***The Economic Impact of Airbnb in Australia: An independent report by Oxford Economics, August, 2020