Visit Seattle and Airbnb Partner to Grow Economic Benefits of Tourism

Visit Seattle and Airbnb announced a new partnership to increase the economic benefits of tourism and travel throughout Seattle. Visit Seattle and Airbnb will work together to promote and broaden local-led Airbnb Experiences, providing the authentic, unique experiences visitors want, and to highlight unique Places to Stay, driving visitor growth and boosting the local economy.

Airbnb Experiences are led by passionate locals and small business owners, offering travelers unprecedented access to communities, places and activities they’d never know through traditional tourist travel, like rowing through Seattle’s urban waterways with a Guinness World Record holder or visiting Ballard’s small neighborhood breweries with the director of a documentary about the local craft beer industry. With Experiences and Places to Stay located throughout Seattle, Airbnb brings the economic benefits of tourism to neighborhoods that haven’t typically benefitted from visitor spending.

At the same time, Airbnb Experiences are powerful drivers of entrepreneurship, making it easier for entrepreneurs across the city to share their passions and interests with visitors and launch new business ideas, marketing to the hundreds of millions of people using Airbnb to travel around the world. Through this new partnership, Visit Seattle and Airbnb will educate and encourage Visit Seattle members to become Experience hosts.

“Seattle is a special place with incredible people, cultures and neighborhoods. We’re excited to work with Visit Seattle to encourage visitors and locals to get off the beaten path and discover a new side of the city.”

Aoife McArdle, Director of Business Affairs and Social Impact Experiences at Airbnb

“Visit Seattle recognizes the impact Airbnb has on a destination. By providing guests with unique Seattle experiences, Airbnb can be an influencing factor in driving visitation and this partnership helps connect our local Seattle partners to this far-reaching global audience.”

Tom Norwalk, Visit Seattle President & CEO

To celebrate this partnership, select Seattle Airbnb hosts will offer their Experiences for just $5 a person for a limited time, offering Seattleites an opportunity to book these unique tours and activities and explore their city in a new way. Learn More.