Airbnb guests are estimated to have spent at least $262 million in New Zealand restaurants and cafes, supporting small businesses and local jobs in communities across the nation.
More than 90 per cent of New Zealand Airbnb hosts have said they recommended restaurants and cafes to guests, ensuring vital tourism dollars are spent locally and economic benefits are spread beyond the usual tourist hotspots and CBDs.
Airbnb’s guest community spent at least an estimated $262 million at restaurants and cafes in New Zealand in 2018, according to the survey findings. If spending levels remain the same, Airbnb guests are estimated to spend over $343 million at Kiwi restaurants and cafes in 2019.
Airbnb’s country manager for Australia and New Zealand, Susan Wheeldon, says hosts play a significant role in driving this spend, with 91 per cent of those surveyed indicating they’d provided guests with recommendations.
"Local hosts play such an important role in encouraging guests to try out local venues and spend their money in the communities in which they’re staying," she says.
On average, Airbnb guests in New Zealand said 45 per cent of their spending occurred in the neighbourhoods in which they stayed.
"The unique nature of our platform encourages guests to get off the well-beaten path and stay and spend in areas outside the traditional tourism areas," Susan says.
"We’re committed to doing our part to ensure tourism continues to grow sustainably and also benefits those areas that have traditionally missed out, such as communities across regional New Zealand."
Airbnb guests staying in Auckland alone spent at least an estimated $72 million on restaurants and cafes in 2018. For 2019, that figure is expected to exceed $84 million.
Globally, Airbnb guests spent at least an estimated $36 billion- at restaurants and cafes in 2018 based on data for 46 countries and regions alone. If spending levels remain the same, that figure is estimated to exceed $45 billion in these same locations in 2019.
