Airbnb’s Olympic Strategy

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Airbnb could be a winner regardless of which countries win gold this summer. 

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Between 2.3 and 3.1 million people are expected to visit Paris during the 2024 Summer Olympic Games.  For Airbnb, the Olympics represent a chance to:

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• Draw in new hosts by Olympic demand, with the hopes that many will stick with the platform long-term
• Win over local officials by providing cheaper stays than hotels without too much inconvenience for others

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Airbnb claims its Olympic strategy is already working: They reported that the number of nights booked on the platform during the 2024 Paris Summer Olympic Games is already five times greater than for the same dates in Paris in 2023.

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But will they stay? Jamie Lane, Chief Economist and Senior Vice President of Research of AirDNA, a company that provides short-term rental data analytics, shared that large events have provided a lasting boost to Airbnb’s footprint, suggesting that many Olympic hosts could stick long-term.

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Airbnb isn’t the only one with Olympic fever; other brand partners like Coca-Cola may see an Olympic boost by using the games as a platform to market its products globally.