The 2016 Summer Olympics may have been met with concerns of expensive tickets and unsold seats. But, perhaps unsurprisingly, Airbnb and its Rio hosts are making bank these summer Olympics.
Airbnb, also the “official provider of alternative accommodations” for the Rio Olympics, expects $76 million in economic activity in Rio during the games, and that includes a projected $25 million in host income, a massive financial boost for locals facing the one of the worst economic recession ever to hit the country.
So far, more than 66,000 travelers— about half domestic, half international— have (and will) use Airbnb for accommodation during the three-week-long olympiad. Reservations in Rio average around six nights per accommodation at $165 per night, according to the Airbnb report.
Last year, for the entire year, Airbnb generated $160 million in Rio, and this year, amid Zika
concerns, it looks as though Airbnb, and more importantly Brazilian locals, will earn much, much more.
Tom is a travel writer, part-time hitchhiker, and he’s currently trying to imitate Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego? but with more sunscreen and jorts.