- Over 500 million guest arrivals have stayed in an Airbnb since launching in 2008
- Almost half of all-time guests visited Europe, more than North America and Asia combined
- Three guests now check-in to a listing on Airbnb every half-second
- Hosts have earned over $65 billion globally
Airbnb is today announcing its biggest milestone yet – reaching half a billion guest arrivals since launching in 2008.
Since the first three guests stayed with Airbnb founders Brian Chesky and Joe Gebbia in San Francisco, the Airbnb community has grown to nearly every corner of the world. Today, three guests check-in to listings on Airbnb every half-second and there are more than six million listings on Airbnb in over 191 countries and 81,000 cities worldwide – more listings than the six largest hotel groups have rooms combined.
Guests have stayed in castles, treehouses, yurts and villas, and the most booked listings in Europe stretch from Galway to Venice:
Private room in Bruges, Belgium
A castle stay in Galway, Ireland
A charming Bastille room in Paris, France
Room in the heart of Venice, Italy
Airbnb in Europe
Europe remains the most popular destination for Airbnb guests, with almost half (45 percent) of all time guest arrivals happening in Europe – more than North America and Asia combined. On any given night, almost 750,000 guest arrivals stay in a listing across Europe – more than any other continent.
Europe also has the highest number of cities (380) with more than 1,000 listings and hosts in 29 cities have welcomed over a million guest arrivals on Airbnb.
Airbnb’s biggest night in Europe was during the summer peak period (11 August 2018) with 1.9m guests staying in an Airbnb – over double the nightly average guest arrivals in Europe.
Airbnb for everyone
As well as homes, Airbnb Experiences has also seen rapid growth on the Airbnb platform. After launching in 12 cities in 2016, there are now over 25,000 Experiences available in over 1,000 cities worldwide, including undergoing a “brain surgery simulation” theatre performance in London, marionette puppet making in Prague and turning into a mermaid for the day in San Diego.
Economic empowerment
Airbnb helps spread the economic benefits of tourism to everyone and is also announcing today that hosts on the platform have earned over $65 billion, providing economic empowerment to millions of families and hospitality entrepreneurs, while boosting local communities and small business in neighbourhoods around the world. When guests travel using Airbnb, local hosts keep up to 97 percent of the accommodation charge and more than half of guest spending takes place in the communities where they stay – places local residents call home.
Guests are also having positive experiences, rating their stay an average 4.7 out of five stars, making them more likely to return to Airbnb for their next trip.
*All demographic data is self-reported by Airbnb users.
The Airbnb Press Room is aimed at journalists. All Homes and Experiences referenced on the Airbnb Press Room are intended purely to inspire and illustrate. Airbnb does not recommend or endorse specific Home listings or any other Homes or Experiences on the Airbnb platform.