Airbnb's global online short-term accommodation rental platform has created a US$500 000 fund as part of its Africa Pledge, to support inclusive and sustainable tourism growth across the continent at the Airbnb Africa Travel Summit in Johannesburg yesterday (October 24).
The summit was the second of its kind, where more than 200 policymakers, tourism experts, innovators and change-makers from across the continent gathered to explore, innovate and collaborate on building an inclusive and sustainable tourism industry across Africa.
The pledge will, over the next two years, help governments and tourism organisations across Africa to identify and unlock new tourism opportunities; support hosts and guests, and their communities; empower the next generation of tourism entrepreneurs; and support investment in the tourism ecosystem.
The pledge follows an Economic Impact Report released last week that showed Airbnb contributed more than R23.5 billion (€1.1bn) to the South African economy in 2022 – supporting almost 50 000 jobs – more than doubling its contribution to the growth of inclusive tourism since 2019.
Airbnb will use the lessons and experience gained in South Africa to support inclusive and sustainable tourism in fast-growing African countries.
Velma Corcoran, Regional Lead Middle East Africa at Airbnb, said: “This pledge is an important demonstration of Airbnb’s continued commitment for a truly sustainable, diverse and inclusive tourism industry – a travel economy for all. We believe in the power of public- and private-sector partnerships to support this important work, and we look forward to working together with governments, non-profits and tourism organisations across Africa to make travel and hosting more accessible, safe, diverse, and affordable for everyone.”
Airbnb’s Africa Pledge
The US$500 000 fund pledge will be committed to non-profit organisations in Africa supporting economic empowerment, digital access and sustainability in the region. Airbnb will work with local stakeholders to identify organisations that should be considered for awards, with grants distributed by the Airbnb Community Fund.
In 2024, Airbnb will publish an Inclusive Tourism Growth White Paper to support countries in Africa in identifying opportunities across tourism and policy that will drive inclusive and sustainable tourism across the continent.
Airbnb will provide access to the City Portal to an additional 10 African countries to deliver data, insights and tools to local authorities and tourism organisations. The City Portal is a first-of-its-kind resource for local governments and tourism organisations to better understand the Airbnb landscape in their communities and unlock tourism opportunities.
Airbnb will expand the Airbnb Entrepreneurship Academy to five new countries across the next two years. Already available in South Africa and Kenya, the Academy is an entrepreneurship development programme focused on introducing individuals from diverse and underrepresented communities to hosting on the Airbnb platform in co-ordination with local community partners.
