Airbnb data indicates R2.4bn contribution to SA economy

To coincide with the Tourism Indaba set to take place in Durban, Airbnb has released a data report, which indicates that the online marketplace and hospitality service contributed R2.4bn to South African economy in 2016.

The report is based on internal company data collected between 1 January 2016 and 31 December 2016. The report indicates that South African hosts welcomed nearly 400,000 guests into their homes in 2016 - including almost 150,000 South Africans. Eighty-five percent of Airbnb visitors prefer living like a local resident while 30% of all visitors said they prolonged their stay because of the home-sharing platform.