Perth locals urged to host on Airbnb as footy fans flock for historic clash
As Perth prepares to host the big dance this Saturday, Airbnb is helping West Australians roll out their welcome mats and list their homes or spare rooms on Airbnb.
For the first time ever, Perth and Western Australia will play host to a grand final, offering an unforgettable opportunity for footy fans in the West to witness an historic match.
Since the announcement, Airbnb has seen an increase in searches for accommodation in Perth over the last weekend in September, suggesting a wave of fans are headed to the capital city to make the most of this rare moment.
Perth native, footy fanatic and Airbnb Superhost, Steve Yarwood is ready for the excitement and has already seen an uptick in his Airbnb listings.
“We’ve certainly noticed a spike in bookings for the 24th to 26th with messages of hoping to get tickets to the game. It’s been really nice to see,” Yarwood said.
“Everyone here in Perth is embracing the game and know that this is a once in a lifetime opportunity for footy fans to take in the action from their own backyard.”
According to Airbnb’s What’s My Place Worth Tool, whereby Hosts can calculate their potential monthly income, it’s estimated that the average Perth Host on Airbnb can earn over $3,000 per month. With a surprisingly small number of Airbnb listings in Perth available to book during the grand final weekend, this is a perfect opportunity for savvy Hosts to open up their homes to travelling footy fans and make some extra income to go along with the inevitable great stories.
Susan Wheeldon, Airbnb’s Country Manager for Australia and New Zealand, said as Demons and Bulldogs fans prepare to converge on Perth for an historic showdown there’s never been a better time to host on Airbnb.
“If there’s one thing West Australians love more than a gripping game of footy, it’s showing off the sometimes-forgotten but always-spectacular part of the world they call home,” Wheeldon said.
“Hosting allows people to take typically their most significant asset – their own home – and turn it into an income engine.
“Many West Australian 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 Perth 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, we recently announced a new, simplified process for becoming 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.
“Hosts on Airbnb play a valuable role in making guests feel extremely welcome and our Perth-based Hosts are no exception. West Australians 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.”
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.
*Based on Airbnb internal data that highlighted the number of searches by WA guests for Perth Airbnb listings the week commencing 31st August (when Perth was named the Grand Final host city) compared to the previous week
To sign-up head to airbnb.com/perthgrandfinal2021