(Cleveland) - Airbnb announced today that its Ohio host community earned a combined $50 million in supplemental income while welcoming approximately 460,000 guest arrivals to the state in 2018.
Number One in the state is Greater Columbus with $11.7 million dollars in Airbnb 2018 Total Host Income, and 107,000 Guest Arrivals.
Greater Cleveland is second with with $10 million dollars in Airbnb 2018 Total Host Income, and 88,000 Guest Arrivals.
Columbus was helped by events associated with Ohio State University, Cleveland by major sporting atractions, and recreational opportunities in its lakefront communities during summer tourism season.
Airbnb spokesman Ben Breit tells Newsradio WTAM 1100, this comes as Ohio residents increasingly embrace the home sharing platform as an opportunity to earn supplemental income and make ends meet.
There are now over 6,000 Ohio hosts who share their homes via Airbnb, typically earning about $4,800 annually in supplemental income.
Yet, Breit contends statewide data indicates that Airbnb and its host community appear to be complementing -- rather than competing with -- the Ohio hotel industry.
He says, the most recent overview from industry analysts at HotelNewsNow.com demonstrates that the Ohio hotel industry is benefitting from “robust growth” and a “vigorous and resilient market for hotel development” even as local hosts welcomed hundreds of thousands of guests.
Breit suggests that Airbnb is opening up the state to a new slice of prospective tourists by catering to travelers less able to afford hotels, those who desire to stay in neighborhoods or cities that lack hotels, and families who prefer to be together under one roof.
He adds, the home sharing community provides significant value through expanded lodging capacity for Ohio communities when hotels sell out during big events.
Airbnb also introduced Experiences to Ohio in 2018, offering handcrafted activities led by local experts in cities like Cleveland, Columbus and Cincinnati.
Breit maintains, Airbnb Experiences is creating new economic opportunities for Ohioans by allowing them to unlock their talents and interests and make money from them, catering to the hundreds of millions of people that use Airbnb’s platform to discover unique and authentic travel experiences.
Experiences is expected to expand further in Ohio in 2019.
(Photos by Ken Robinson/WTAM)
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