NAIROBI, Kenya, Oct 25 – Airbnb has committed to supporting inclusive and sustainable tourism growth on the African continent.
Through the Africa Pledge, the platform will help governments and tourism organizations identify and unlock new tourism opportunities and support hosts and guests, as well as surrounding communities.
It will also empower the next generation of tourism entrepreneurs and support investment in the tourism ecosystem.
The pledge follows an Economic Impact Report released last week that showed Airbnb contributed more than R23.5 billion (Sh184.49 billion) to the South African economy in 2022, supporting almost 50,000 jobs.
Airbnb says that it will use the lessons and experience gained in South Africa to support more African nations.
The launch of the pledge builds on Airbnb’s ongoing commitment to inclusive tourism in South Africa and its recent proposals for new rules that aim to help build a more inclusive tourism economy.
“This pledge is an important demonstration of Airbnb’s continued commitment for a truly sustainable, diverse and inclusive tourism industry – a travel economy for all,” Velma Corcoran, Regional Lead Middle East Africa at Airbnb, said.
“We believe in the power of public and private sector partnerships to support this important work, and we look forward to working together with governments, non profits and tourism organisations across Africa to make travel and hosting more accessible, safe, diverse, and affordable for everyone,” Corcoran added.
Airbnb also announced a budget of Sh71.2 million to support the local tourism industry.
