Spacious cozy apartment in new modern stylish loft. Wooden floor and bed with colorful pillows

Founded in August of 2008 and based in San Francisco, California, Airbnb is a trusted community marketplace for people to list, discover, and book unique accommodations around the world – online or from a mobile phone.

Whether an apartment for a night, a castle for a week, or a villa for a month, Airbnb connects people to unique travel experiences, at any price point, in more than 35,000 cities and more than 190 countries. And with world-class customer service and a growing community of users, Airbnb is the easiest way for people to monetize their extra space and showcase it to an audience of millions.

From boosting Scotland’s economy by over £360 million to bringing in £3,600 a year for the average host Airbnb is helping to shape Scotland’s economy and tourism industry. Airbnb published a report on the 15th March 2017 which showcases the impact that Airbnb has had on Scotland, it shows the Airbnb community generated £361 million of economic activity in Scotland last year, including an estimated £293m of guest spending and £68m earned by hosts.

From communities, local businesses and cultural venues. Scotland is seeing benefits from Airbnb, bringing both an increase in sustainable tourism and economic development. Home sharing helps hosts, families and individual households generate a little extra with 41% of hosts saying they use the income from sharing space in their home to help make ends meet. The report boasts that in the past year alone, 12,600 hosts welcomed over 802,000 guests to their homes across Scotland with the average guest staying for 3 nights and 87% of those guests stayed for vacation or leisure

It’s clear that tourism plays a major part in the growth and suitability of Scotland’s economy with the Scottish Government hailing it as the country’s most important industry. The report was produced to help promote Scottish Tourism week were tourism organisers across the country came together on 15th March for the national tourism conference.

Speaking on the report Natasha Mytton Mills, Public Policy Manager for Airbnb, said: “The Airbnb community boosts the economy in Scotland by almost £1 million a day and transforms how guests experience this great country. Guests are increasingly looking for authentic travel experiences in Scotland and we are proud to see hosts on Airbnb help grow and diversify tourism while spreading benefits to more families, communities and local businesses.”