Townsvillians encouraged to host on Airbnb as league fans prepare for clash

As Townsville prepares to host next week’s footy opener, Airbnb is helping North Queenslanders roll out their welcome mats and list their homes or spare rooms on Airbnb.

Susan Wheeldon, Airbnb’s Country Manager for Australia and New Zealand, said as Blues and Maroons fans prepare to make their pilgrimage to North Queensland there’s never been a better time to host on Airbnb.

“If there’s one thing Townsvillians love more than their footy, it’s showing off the 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 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 North Queensland 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 Townsville Hosts are no exception. North 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.”

Townsville Enterprise CEO Claudia Brumme-Smith said the region welcomed the opportunity to partner with the globally recognised brand to increase accommodation options for game one. 

“Without a doubt this will be one of the biggest events to hit Townsville and we need to use every option available to make it the success we know it can be for our city,” Ms Brumme-Smith said. 

“We’re thrilled to partner with Airbnb on a dedicated landing page to encourage as many locals as possible to welcome footy fans into their homes next week. 

“We have a passionate rugby league community here in Townsville who we know will open their arms and doors to fans from across the nation. 

“It’s all hands-on deck, along with our partners at Townsville City Council, to put on a world class event in only one week – the same event capital cities across the country have months, if not years, to prepare for.” 

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.

For more information on how to list your space on Airbnb or find accommodation in Townsville for the game, head to airbnb.com/townsville9june