Boosting Accommodation Supply and Affordability During Major Events
Commissioned by Airbnb
A report assessing Airbnb’s role in boosting tourism and supporting regional destinations during major events in the UK.
Flexible accommodation solutions made available on Airbnb enable destinations to host events, enhancing visitor experience and bolstering local economies.
Oxford Economics was commissioned by Airbnb to assess and quantify the extent to which Airbnb provided greater choice, increased affordability and contributed to the local economy during the European Song Contest 2023 in Liverpool, the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games and the COP26 Conference 2021 in Glasgow.
Accommodation spending by guests on Airbnb provided valuable income to local Hosts, thereby helping retain visitor spending within the community. Guests staying in Airbnb accommodation also spent with local businesses such as restaurants and other retail outlets.
The spending generates economic activity, which includes the direct impact of spending by guests on Airbnb, the impact associated with local businesses’ purchases from their suppliers and the impact of local businesses’ payments to their employees and these employees’ spending in the wider economy. Spending by guests is estimated to have contributed £4.1 million to UK GDP during the European Song Contest in 2023 in Liverpool, £8.6 million during the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games and £23.7 million during COP26 in 2021 in Glasgow.
To read more, please click here.
The experts behind the research
Anubhav and Matt, members of the economic consulting and tourism economics team, bring years of experience in quantitative economic analysis and original, evidence-based research, working with clients around the globe and across sectors.
Anubhav Mohanty
Associate Director, Economic Consulting
Matthew Dass
Director of Consulting, EMEA, Tourism Economics
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