Airbnb pledges $500K to Africa's tourism sector

Digital accommodation marketplace Airbnb has committed to supporting inclusive and sustainable tourism growth in Africa by pledging $500,000 toward the sector.

The company made the pledge during its annual Airbnb Africa Travel Summit held in Johannesburg, South Africa, on Tuesday.

The pledge follows an Economic Impact Report released last week that showed Airbnb contributed more than 23.5 billion South African rand ($1.23 billion at the time) to the South African economy in 2022.

The company said that its contribution supported almost 50,000 jobs, doubling its contribution to the growth of inclusive tourism since 2019.

Airbnb Middle East and Africa regional lead, Velma Corcoran, told Connecting Africa at the event that the pledge highlights the company's commitment to a truly sustainable, diverse, and inclusive tourism ecosystem.

"The Africa pledge will help us identify local organizations and stakeholders that need to be considered for funding grants, distributed by the Airbnb Community Fund," Corcoran explained.

The African pledge

Corcoran said the pledge will also ensure that the company expands its Entrepreneurship Academy to another five African countries, in addition to South Africa and Kenya, the only two African countries in which it currently operates.

"The academy is an entrepreneurship development program that focuses on introducing people from underrepresented communities to hosting on the Airbnb platform in coordination with local community partners," she said.

The pledge will also provide Airbnb's City Portal access to an additional 10 African countries, to deliver data, insights and tools to local tourism organizations.

Airbnb's $500,000 pledge follows an Economic Impact Report released last week that showed Airbnb contributed more than $1.23 billion to the South African economy in 2022. (Source: Image by katemangostar on Freepik)

The City Portal, which was introduced in 2020, is a dashboard with economic activity data and travel trends that helps cities understand Airbnb's footprint in their communities.

Furthermore, the portal's technology offers governments and tourism organizations data insights, remitted tourist tax revenue and compliance tools as well as centralized access to the Airbnb neighborhood support hotline.

SA government support

The accommodation booking platform has also received support and a call for collaboration from the South African government.

During the opening of the event, South Africa's minister of tourism, Patricia De Lille, urged attendees and stakeholders to work together with governments to make an impact in the tourism industry.

"Government cannot do it alone. We need to expose travelers to the hidden gems that are in South Africa so that a memorable experience is created for them," she said.

"Driving inclusive tourism is a key priority of the Department of Tourism, and technology is a vital tool to help us move with the times and achieve our goals," she added.

Tanya van Meelis, acting deputy director of South Africa's Department of Trade, Industry and Competition, echoed De Lille's sentiments for collaboration, committing that she would work toward getting department officials to stay at an Airbnb during their travels.

"Working together is taking one problem at a time and solving it; otherwise, working together without solving the problem can be useless," van Meelis concluded.

Related posts:

*Top image is of Airbnb Middle East Africa regional lead Velma Corcoran. (Source: Matshepo Sehloho.)

— Matshepo Sehloho, Associate Editor, Connecting Africa