Calling itself a community-driven hospitality company, Airbnb CEO, Brian Chesky attended GES 2015 to meet with entrepreneurs from around the world and explore the sharing economy’s impact and expansion, particularly on the African continent. In the last 12 months, Airbnb has more than doubled in size in Africa.
“The spirit of entrepreneurialism is a common thread that unites the Airbnb community across the globe,” said Chesky.
“I’m thrilled to meet so many entrepreneurs here at GES who will build and grow this community throughout Africa. And I’m excited to see how Airbnb will empower people across the continent to make extra income while providing travelers with a truly authentic experience.”
To help spur additional growth, Airbnb has also appointed Nicola D'Elia as general manager for Middle East & Africa. Previously, D'Elia was responsible for Facebook’s growth and partnerships in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. D’Elia will build out a team to accelerate Airbnb’s growth in the region.
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Airbnb plans to significantly grow its business in Africa, where, in the last year, the number of listings has more than doubled. In addition, the number of people staying in Airbnb listings in the region has increased by 145%, with the number of Africans using Airbnb to travel increased by 139%.
In Kenya, there are currently over 1400 listings available to book through Airbnb with the greatest concentration in Nairobi (788). Kenyans are also embracing Airbnb as a way of travelling, with the number of Kenyan guests using Airbnb tripling in the last 12 months.
Hoteliers in the Middle East previously told Hotelier Middle East that they think the introduction of Airbnb will diversify the market rather than threaten it. However at the beginning of the year, a report by Barclays hinted that the number of room bookings made through Airbnb could overtake even the largest hotel operators within the next two or three years.
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