Airbnb and VisitBritain team up promote local tourism experiences
National tourist bodies Visit Britain and Visit England have teamed up with Airbnb to promote local tourism experiences, in a bid to drive visitor growth and boost local economies.
Airbnb and VisitBritain/VisitEngland announce partnership
The £500,000 match-funded partnership will see the two work with businesses and destinations to promote local experiences to domestic and international visitors. They will also work to broaden the range of experiences available at each destination.
Experiences, the Airbnb product which promotes local experiences like handcrafted activities, tours and educational workshops led by local experts, will sit at the heart of the partnership. Current offerings include a trip to a hidden Jazz club in London's Peckham, accompanied by a local musician and a tour of the Yorkshire Moors.
With Visit Britain on board, the collaboration will seek to give British businesses a route to market where they can host their experiences with a view to opening up fresh revenue streams.
The initiative is skewed towards young Brits, with Visit Britain claiming that around half of UK domestic 'experience' bookings on the Airbnb platform are made by 18-34-year-olds.
The partnership launch will be followed by a marketing campaign that involves creative content to inspire young Brits to engage in local experiences, which is in line with VisitBritain's wider #MyMicroGap campaign.
Carol Dray, commercial director of VisitBritain, said of the partnership: “Our Experiences collaboration with Airbnb greatly amplifies our marketing reach and increases the range and depth of bookable tourism experiences locally, giving people more choice.
"We want to boost demand for travel right now, inspiring more young Brits to take ‘microgaps’ and be advocates for experience-based travel in Britain now and in the future, benefitting local businesses and boosting the economy.”
Hadi Moussa, Airbnb general manager for Northern Europe said: “Britain has always been a hub of creativity and innovation, with many locals having diverse skills and unique talents that should be celebrated and shared.
"From young entrepreneurs to charities and small businesses, this new partnership will help open new streams of revenue for local businesses and destinations, while also promoting everything that Britain has to offer.”