Tanglewood and Airbnb: Creating economic opportunity in The Berkshires
Hailed for its annual convergence of over 350,000 visitors for orchestra and chamber music, and performances by contemporary and jazz artists, the Tanglewood Music Festival has been a cultural and tourism draw for The Berkshires for nearly eight decades.
And each summer the residents and small businesses of Massachusetts have an opportunity to showcase their communities to traveling music lovers, host new and returning musicians, and share in the tourism dollars Tanglewood brings to their area.
The following report highlights how residents and Airbnb hosts in The Berkshires — specifically in the towns of Lenox, Stockbridge, Alford, Great Barrington, Lee, Otis, Pittsfield, Richmond, Sheffield, Tyringham, Washington, West Stockbridge — benefit from Tanglewood Music Festival, use their home sharing income to make ends meet, and open their communities to diverse travelers.
- Airbnb is creating an economic lifeline for thousands of middle class residents of The Berkshires who, collectively, earned nearly $2 million sharing their space between June 16, 2017 and September 3, 2017 sharing their home with Tanglewood Music Festival performers and patrons.
- Airbnb host earnings during the 2017 Tanglewood Festival represent an increase of nearly 460 percent from the same time period in 2014, with the typical host earning $3,650.
- In terms of guest arrivals, Airbnb grew 370 percent from the same time in 2014. In total, 10,620 Airbnb guest arrivals occurred during the Tanglewood Music Festival – in the towns of Lenox, Stockbridge, Alford, Great Barrington, Lee, Otis, Pittsfield, Richmond, Sheffield, Tyringham, Washington, West Stockbridge.
- The typical price of an Airbnb listing during the festival ranged from $85 for a private room to $200 for an entire home. The top city of origins for guest arrivals include New York, Boston, Cambridge, Arlington, Somerville, San Francisco and Philadelphia.