Airbnb is partnering with the International Olympic Committee (IOG) ahead of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics to offer unique experiences for people travelling to host cities.
Visitors will be able to immerse themselves in the host cities and engage with locals, while also being able to participate in Airbnb’s new Athlete Experiences that will be launched soon.
Promoting sport and physical activity, these new experiences will include everything from the chance to train with an Olympian (retired or current), to exploring a city with an elite athlete.
The new partnership aims to produce hundreds of thousands of new hosts over nine years, giving community residents the opportunity to earn extra income by providing accommodation and local experiences to visiting fans, athletes and other members of the Olympic Movement.
In the coming months, Airbnb and the IOC, through the Athlete 365 platform, will provide support and training to athletes interested in becoming a host on the Airbnb Experiences platform.
A World Economic Forum study found that during the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, the added capacity provided through Airbnb’s platform provided the equivalent of 257 hotels for guests of the Games, saving the city in terms of building materials and carbon emissions.
Airbnb’s new partnership will support the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, the Olympic Winter Games in Beijing 2022, the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris 2024, the Olympic Winter Games Milano-Cortina 2026, and the Olympic Games in Los Angeles 2028.
However, according to The Guardian officials in Paris have called this a ‘risky’ deal and have ‘also blamed Airbnb for causing a shortage of long-term rental property in the city, pushing up rents and forcing the middle class out.
Image: Supplied
