Check-In to the Trend: More Sports Fans Hosting for Major Sporting Events
When it comes to unifying travelers and varying cultures under one roof, the common experience of sports might be one of the most powerful. The universal language of team pride, paired with the thrill of the game, has brought together travelers from near and far for centuries — and it’s a tradition that’s also been uniting hosts and guests on Airbnb since the beginning.
For big sports fans, it’s clear that experiencing a sports destination through the eyes of a local helps them feel apart of the culture outside of the game, and for hosts it’s a chance to share their hometown pride that’s as one-of-a-kind as the city they live in.
1M
Airbnb guest arrivals are expected in cities hosting major sporting events this summer1
44%
of hosts on Airbnb have welcomed guests for sporting events worldwide2
$92M
in estimated host earnings in cities hosting major sporting events this summer3
To take a deeper look into the rising trend of sports fans hosting sports fans, I made a visit to St. Louis, where hosts have seen a 41 percent increase in guest arrivals during the hockey finals this year, compared to the same time frame in 20184. There, Superhosts (and superfans) Bill and Carmen shared with me why they love hosting sports fans, and why sports fans love to call their sports-themed listing, home.
Stay tuned for next month’s Check-In to the Trend.
1Airbnb internal data of cities hosting major sporting events’ dates spanning from June-August, 2019.
2Based on a survey administered by Airbnb in January 2019 that received over 237,000 responses from hosts and guests around the world about their experience using Airbnb in 2018.
3Airbnb internal data of total combined estimate of host earnings in all cities hosting major sporting events from June-August, 2019.
4Airbnb internal data for growth in guest arrivals in St. Louis from June 1-3, 2019, vs. June 1-3, 2018.
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