Airbnb boosted Irish economy by over €500 million in 2022

With summer in full swing, domestic and international guests in every corner of Ireland are enjoying the incredible range of wonderful places and experiences the country has to offer, and generating additional income for local families and communities.  

Travel on Airbnb draws hundreds of thousands of people to the country each year, showcasing one-of-a-kind accommodation in places that visitors might otherwise not see. This activity contributes millions to the visitor economy and has become a vital part of the Irish tourism sector. 

Today, new research from Oxford Economics, commissioned by Airbnb, highlights how home sharing continues to create significant economic benefits for Irish families, local communities, and the wider tourism economy, particularly in distributing tourism to rural and lesser-visited parts of Ireland.

Airbnb is now a fundamental pillar of the tourism economy in Ireland

Travel on Airbnb in Ireland is vital to the country’s tourism economy, and provides a sizeable share of the country’s accommodation offering, accounting for 6% of all nights in paid accommodation in the country in 2022.  

The typical Host in Ireland earned just over €5,600 last year¹, but Airbnb’s total economic contribution to the Irish economy goes further than just local Hosts.

Airbnb-linked spending represented 10.5% of all international tourism-related spending, and the report values Airbnb’s total contribution to Ireland’s GDP at over €500 million in 2022 – with local businesses, shops and restaurants benefitting from community related spending.

Airbnb continues to disperse travel beyond urban centres

Airbnb has always encouraged guests to visit lesser-travelled destinations, and the report highlights how Airbnb is dispersing the economic benefits of tourism to rural parts of the country.

In 2022, as many nights were stayed in the South-West as in Dublin, and the West is similarly not far behind the capital. Airbnb-related economic activity in Dublin was valued at €152 million, accounting for 30% of the total nationally, but this was closely followed by activity in South-West counties of Kerry and Cork which was valued at €107 million. 

Travel on Airbnb supports jobs for Irish people across the country

The report found that employment linked to Airbnb activity accounted for around 5% of total tourism employment in 2022. In total, almost 5,000 jobs were supported by activity on Airbnb across Ireland last year, with the hospitality and tourism, food and beverage services, arts and entertainment, and transport sectors all benefiting from activity on the platform. 

The West of Ireland saw the largest proportion of Airbnb-linked employment last year, with more than 1,200 jobs supported by activity on the platform. This is followed by the South-West with over 870 and the Border Region at over 850. In Dublin, more than 860 jobs were supported by Airbnb in 2022. 

Private rooms provide an essential part of Ireland’s tourism offering

Private rooms on Airbnb offer guests authentic travel experiences and unique opportunities to interact with locals, but they also help generate positive economic impact for Irish communities. 

In 2022, private room bookings accounted for 16% of all bookings on Airbnb in Ireland, representing over 700,000 guest nights² across the country, and contributing over €80 million to the Irish economy. In Dublin specifically, 30% of guest nights stayed were in private rooms, generating €38 million in 2022 and making up over 25% of total Airbnb-linked spending in the county. 

The report also shows that many international visitors prefer sharing accommodation as opposed to renting entire homes. With international visitors generally spending more than their domestic counterparts, the supply of private rooms stays on Airbnb in Ireland is particularly important.

David Goodger, Managing Director, Europe & Middle East, Tourism Economics at Oxford Economics said:

“Our analysis highlights that Airbnb listings have a sizeable impact on the tourism economy in Ireland supporting nearly 5,000 jobs. In 2022, guests using the platform accounted for over €500 million of tourism spending with much of it benefitting local tourism businesses, beyond the Hosts on Airbnb themselves. As modern travellers seek authentic and varied visitor experiences, Airbnb listings play an important role enabling visitors to experience Ireland’s tourism offering. They also help to disperse tourism expenditure and bring economic benefits to regional areas of the country which is particularly important for local economies.”

Derek Nolan, Head of Public Policy at Airbnb Ireland said, 

“Airbnb provides authentic and affordable stays for guests in Ireland and drives economic benefits for local Irish families and their communities by generating employment and dispersing tourism across the country.  We want to play our part as a key pillar of the Irish tourism economy, and support the introduction of a Host register to protect Ireland’s tourism, unlock the benefits of hosting for Irish families, and help local authorities to clamp down on property speculators.”

Read the full report here.