Airbnb looking to link guests to local restaurants

As a growing number of people offer their homes to travelers through Airbnb, the home-sharing service is looking to build partnerships with the restaurant industry.

In a report last week, Airbnb said its guests have spent more than $1.5 billion in restaurants in 19 major cities alone across the U.S. over the past 12 months. Airbnb guests typically spend between $50 and $90 per guest per night in restaurants, the company said.

Not surprisingly, Airbnb visitors to New York led the pack in restaurant spending over the past year by far, spending about $470 million. Los Angeles came in second with $236 million spent in restaurants; followed by San Francisco, where they spent $107 million.

But restaurants in smaller cities also benefited. Airbnb guests spent more than $40 million in Austin, Boston, Chicago, Denver, East Bay, Calif., Miami, Nashville, New Orleans, Oahu, Portland, San Diego, Seattle and Washington, D.C., for example. Even Cleveland restaurants raked in about $3 million.

Including major international cities in the mix, Airbnb travelers have spent more than $4.5 billion in restaurants over the past year, the service estimates.

Those dollars are also reaching neighborhoods off the traditional tourist paths, according to Airbnb. About 74 percent of Airbnb listings are located outside of traditional hotel districts.

The online platform has also been working to strengthen ties with restaurants.

In August, Airbnb launched Guidebooks, a feature that allows hosts to recommend local restaurants and other attractions on their public listings page.

The service also hosts Home Sharing Club events to help hosts know their neighborhoods better. Some clubs have Merchant Walks to introduce hosts to small businesses in the area.

The company is also reportedly working on a travel services app that will allow guests to make restaurant reservations, according to Bloomberg. The test version is called Airbnb Trips. Company officials, however, declined to comment. 

Contact Lisa Jennings at [email protected]
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