Olympics Recap: Rio Hosts Champion Hospitality

More Brazilians attending the Rio 2016 Olympic Games stayed at rental homes like Airbnbs than stayed at hotels

In just three weeks (August 3-23), Rio hosts came together and opened their homes to more than 85,000 Airbnb guest arrivals from all over the world, including a significant number of fellow Brazilians. Our Rio hosts made roughly US$ 30 million in income and all told we estimate that Airbnb created over US$100 million in economic activity in Rio during the games. 72% of Rio guests gave their hosts a five-star review (according to reviews that have been entered so far) and there have been zero significant property damages or incidents reported. This performance alone merits first place in Hospitality for our local community.

As the Official Alternative Accommodation Provider for Rio 2016 Olympic Games, Airbnb helped guarantee that anyone who wanted to see and experience the Summer Games would have a place to stay, even if it was last minute, and with a price range to fit all sorts of pockets. By August 1, more than 66 thousand guest arrivals had been reserved for the Games, but that number jumped by 29% in just a couple of weeks. Meanwhile, the average price per guest per night remained steady at US$ 55.

According to a survey sponsored by the Brazilian Ministry of Tourism, more Brazilians attending the Olympics stayed in rentals homes than stayed at hotels: 21.2% of Brazilians opted for short term rentals during the Games, surpassing those who stayed in traditional accommodations (17.6%). Among foreigners, 25% also chose homesharing, proving that more people are opting for this new form of travel.

As opposed to the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, when only 6% of guests were domestic travelers, this time, about half were Brazilian. The other half came mainly from the United States, Argentina and Great Britain. In the country, the number of listings has more than doubled in the last twelve months, reaching 100,000.

Highlights

• Over 85 thousand guest arrivals
• 72% 5 star reviews so far
• Zero significant property damages reported
• Host Income: US$ 30 million
• Economic Activity (Host Income + Guest Expenditure): US$ 100 million
• Guests: 50% Brazilian, 50% foreign
• Average 3 guests and 6 nights per reservation
• Average price per person per night: US$ 55 (US$ 165 p/ 3 people)
• “Casa Airbnb”, public hospitality house in Ipanema: ~350 visitors per day