Airbnb has released new research commissioned from Oxford Economics, which shows that Airbnb’s total contribution to Ireland’s GDP was over €500 million in 2022, with local businesses, shops and restaurants benefitting from community related spending.
Furthermore, the report found that Airbnb-linked spending represented 10.5% of all international tourism-related spending.
Economic Activity
In 2022, as many nights were stayed in the South-West as in Dublin, and the West is similarly not far behind the capital.
Airbnb-related economic activity in Dublin was valued at €152 million, accounting for 30% of the total nationally, but this was closely followed by activity in South-West counties of Kerry and Cork which was valued at €107 million.
Sharing Accomodation
The report found that many international visitors prefer sharing accommodation as opposed to renting entire homes.
International visitors generally spend more than their domestic counterparts, and Airbnb said the supply of private rooms is particularly important in this instance.
Employment
Employment linked to Airbnb activity accounted for around 5% of total tourism employment in 2022.
Airbnb said almost 5,000 jobs were supported by activity on its platform across Ireland last year, with the hospitality and tourism, food and beverage services, arts and entertainment, and transport sectors all benefiting from activity on the platform.
West Of Ireland
The West of Ireland saw the largest proportion of Airbnb-linked employment last year, with more than 1,200 jobs supported by activity on the platform.
This is followed by the South-West with over 870 and the Border Region at over 850. In Dublin, the report found that more than 860 jobs were supported by Airbnb in 2022.
'Protect Ireland's Tourism'
“Airbnb provides authentic and affordable stays for guests in Ireland and drives economic benefits for local Irish families and their communities by generating employment and dispersing tourism across the country," said Derek Nolan, head of public policy at Airbnb Ireland.
"We want to play our part as a key pillar of the Irish tourism economy, and support the introduction of a host register to protect Ireland’s tourism, unlock the benefits of hosting for Irish families, and help local authorities to clamp down on property speculators.”
