Airbnb signs data sharing partnership with Office for National Statistics

The UK’s Office for National Statistics (ONS) will soon have access to independently published data on short-term lets on Airbnb and other platforms, following a landmark data sharing agreement between the platforms and ONS, the UK’s largest independent producer of official statistics and its recognised national statistical institute. 

“This agreement marks a pivotal moment for short term lets in the UK, demonstrating its commitment to responsible data sharing with public authorities such as the ONS. We expect this data to illustrate the positive impact that short-term lets bring to the UK tourism economy, while also empowering public authorities with the insights they need to make informed, data-driven policy decisions, ensuring a balanced approach that benefits both local communities and the broader economy,” the Short Term Accommodation Association said in an announcement today. 

Anonymised and aggregated UK data will be published for the first time from the Spring and will include the number of guests using short-term let platforms and the number of nights booked. Data will be shared on a quarterly basis, allowing public authorities to better understand the development of short-term lets, and is expected to support evidence-based policy decisions across the UK.

This agreement builds on Airbnb’s work to increase data transparency on short term lets in the UK, with the platform already sharing local data, trends and travel insights through the Airbnb City Portal with Visit Britain, as well as authorities and tourism organisations in Brighton, Cornwall, Devon, Cumbria and Wales. 

Amanda Cupples, Northern Europe General Manager at Airbnb, said: “At Airbnb we want to help strengthen communities, support tourism, and boost income of local families. This data will be a vital resource for authorities at all levels to better understand short-term letting activity in their communities, and capture the positive benefits of tourism.”