Airbnb released a new study highlighting the economic impact of Airbnb in France; Airbnb supports French families and helps grow and diversify tourism in France.

It shows that the Airbnb community has contributed €2.5 billion in total economic activity to the national economy in France in one year, supported 13,300 jobs and empowered working families across the 13 regions in France to stay in their homes.

This is the most comprehensive study looking at the impact of the Airbnb community on an entire country, and comes after similar studies in cities across the world, including New York, London and Madrid. It was conducted in collaboration with French economic consulting firm Asterès, and looked at all travel to France during the one year­ period from September 2014 through August 2015.

The study found that Airbnb hosts are regular people who share their homes and use the money they earn to pay the bills and make ends meet. They are attracting new visitors to France who stay longer, spend more and are more likely to return, and spread economic benefits to cities and villages that haven’t previously benefited from tourism. Airbnb is complementary to the existing tourism industry in France and increases consumer choice ­without having a detrimental impact on hotels.

“Airbnb is empowering working families across France to earn a little extra money by sharing their homes and is helping more people from around the world to travel and experience France,” said Nicolas Ferrary, General Manager for Airbnb in France. “This is good news for everyone; it helps grow and diversify our tourism offering, allows guests to visit towns and villages beyond the tourist hotspots and spreads economic benefits to new families, communities and local businesses. We’re proud of the positive impact of our community in France and look forward to working with everyone on further measures to support regular people who rely on this additional income to make ends meet.”

Some highlights of the study include:

• The Airbnb community has contributed €2.5 billion in total economic activity to the French economy and supported 13,300 jobs as a result of guest spending and host earnings.
• Since 2008, 6.5 million guests have used Airbnb to visit France, and listings on Airbnb in France have more than doubled annually since 2010. Airbnb listings span more than 11,000 cities and villages across all 13 regions in France.
• Between September 2014 and August 2015, 3.9 million guests used Airbnb to visit France, and 4.1 million French residents used Airbnb for their travels.
• The typical Airbnb host in France earns €1,970 a year by sharing their space. More than 40 percent say they rely on this income to stay in their homes.
• The average Airbnb host is 42­-years-­old. Almost three quarters have at least a college or university degree yet more than half earn below the median income for France.
• Airbnb supports non­-traditional workers and seniors; almost a quarter of Airbnb hosts in France are self­-employed or entrepreneurs, and 13 percent are retired.
• Airbnb guests stay longer, spend more and are more likely to return to France.
• Airbnb guests want authentic and local travel experiences beyond the tourist hotspots; 86 percent of guests are looking to live like a local and 84 percent are looking to explore a specific neighbourhood.
• More than 65 percent of Airbnb guests would not have stayed in a hotel if Airbnb had not been an option, and 23 percent of Airbnb guests would not have gone on their trip or stayed as long without Airbnb.
• Airbnb is complementary to the existing tourism industry in France. The hotel industry in France has remained strong, seeing recent growth in hotel prices and hotel nights booked.

In addition to this report, Airbnb is also highlighting new poll data today that shows support for Airbnb and progressive home sharing rules in European cities. The new representative poll was conducted by

David Binder Research on local residents in Paris and Barcelona. It shows:

• The general public in Paris and Barcelona are overwhelmingly favourable towards Airbnb.
• The vast majority of residents say Airbnb is good for their city and oppose restrictions on the right for regular people to share their homes.
• The Airbnb community is politically engaged ­- home sharing legislation is important to them personally.

Chris Lehane, Head of Global Policy and Public Affairs, said:

“The Airbnb community is a movement that supports the right for working families to share their homes to pay the bills. This movement is growing and is backed by regular citizens across the world who believe in consumer choice and empowering individuals to control their own destinies. This movement has already defeated Proposition F in San Francisco and will continue to champion fair and progressive home sharing rules around the world.”

About Airbnb

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 34,000 cities and over 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.