Airbnb released new data on the impact of the home-sharing community across the Western Cape on April 11, highlighting the growing number of guests in the region and the positive impact Airbnb brings to local families, communities and businesses.

The data, which looks at host earnings and guest spending, shows that last year the Airbnb community generated an estimated R5 billion (€337,8 million) of economic activity in the region, helping boost the local economy and putting money back in the pockets of ordinary people.

Other highlights show that Airbnb continues to grow across the Western Cape. In 2017, almost 15 000 hosts across the region welcomed over 540 000 guest arrivals from around the world, growing by 86% compared with 2016.

The typical listing was shared for less than two days a month with the typical host earning around R34 400 a year. Hosts earned a total of R1 billion (€67,5 million), helping boost local family incomes. The typical guests spent around R1 715 (€116) a day in local communities and businesses.

Trending destinations outside the typical tourist hot spots saw the biggest guest growth over the last year, with a 213% increase in guests staying in Beaufort West and a 208% increase in Ceres.

Airbnb reported that over a third of all visitors to the region were from South Africa, US visitors were second highest with 54 600 guest arrivals, followed closely by the UK with 54 400 guest arrivals.

The data released by Airbnb forms part of their Community Compact, a series of commitments with cities around the world, including regularly sharing data on the impacts of home sharing to help build an open and transparent community.

Airbnb Country Manager for South Africa, Velma Corcoran, says: “Every time a guest visits South Africa using Airbnb, local families and their communities benefit.”