Airbnb has big growth plans

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Published Jul 28, 2015

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Johannesburg - Airbnb officially launched in South Africa on Tuesday and announced plans to accelerate growth in the country, its biggest market on the continent.

“South Africa is an incredibly beautiful and diverse country, with so much to offer visitors,” Airbnb chief executive Brian Chesky said. “We have a vibrant and welcoming community here, which we look forward to expanding so that even more visitors can benefit from the unique and local experiences our hosts provide.”

Airbnb, the world’s leading community-driven hospitality company, is an online marketplace that allows travellers to connect with people who have space in their homes to accommodate guests for a fee.

Chesky also said Airbnb had named Nicola D’Elia, previously responsible for Facebook’s growth and partnerships in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, as general manager for Africa and the Middle East.

Some statistics reflecting Airbnb’s growth over the last 12 months showed just how popular the service was becoming, with the number of people staying in places booked through Airbnb in the country increasing by a staggering 257 percent. South African travellers were also embracing the service with those using Airbnb to travel increasing by 163 percent.

“For travellers, the chance to book and stay in someone’s home offers the chance to experience a destination like a local,” Chesky said. “For homeowners, Airbnb offers the potential to meet and host people from all around the world, as well as making some valuable extra income.”

Airbnb was founded in San Francisco in 2008. There are now more than 1.5 million homes available to book through Airbnb worldwide and more than 45 million people have travelled with the service globally.

Chesky arrived in Johannesburg after attending the Global Entrepreneurial Summit in Nairobi alongside President Obama. As a presidential ambassador for global entrepreneurship, Chesky is one of a number of US business leaders committed to helping to develop the next generation of entrepreneurs around the world. At the summit, he met with entrepreneurs from around the world and explored the sharing economy’s impact and expansion throughout Africa.

ANA

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