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Airbnb creates new travel opportunities

Lauren Kate Rawlins
By Lauren Kate Rawlins, ITWeb digital and innovation contributor.
Johannesburg, 25 Oct 2016
Airbnb listings are generally cheaper than hotel prices and more comfortable than hostel dormitories.
Airbnb listings are generally cheaper than hotel prices and more comfortable than hostel dormitories.

Airbnb gives travellers who can't afford the luxury of hotel stays, but want something more than a rudimentary hostel bunk bed, an alternative.

The app-based hospitality booking site enables people to lease out part or all of their private homes to make money out of unused space. This often results in cheaper prices per night as private homes do not have the same overheads as hotels.

Even with the weak South African rand, travellers will be able to find private rooms in European cities for between R400 and R650 a night.

Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia, is the most affordable city in Europe, with accommodation at only $30 (R417) per night for an entire apartment that can sleep three people.

The second most affordable city is Belgrade in Serbia, which is $33 (R459) a night, also for a whole flat that sleeps three people. There are cheaper options if travellers decide to rent out a room within someone's home, although this does mean there will be some shared amenities.

Other cities in Europe to rent out private homes for less than R650 a night include ?stanbul, Bucharest, Saint Petersburg, Kiev, Warsaw, Poland, Budapest and Athens.

Earlier this month, Airbnb said more than 32 000 South Africans used Airbnb when they travelled abroad this past season; more than double the amount last year.

Nicola D'Elia, Airbnb MEA GM, says Airbnb is differentiated from hotels and hostels because it gives travellers to ability to 'live like a local' while discovering a new city.

The disruptive technology company, founded in San Francisco in 2008, now has millions of listings in over 35 000 cities in nearly 200 countries. It makes money by taking 13% of all payments; however, hosts come up with their own price - based on what they feel is appropriate.

South Africans are also making use of the service locally. The company said this past winter holiday season in SA saw nearly 70 000 guests stay in its accommodation across the country.

Guests were split almost equally between international and domestic travellers, which means South Africans view the service as a viable way to travel around their own country as well.

In June, a report issued by Airbnb showed South African hosts who occasionally share space in their home boost their yearly income by more than R28 000.

The company recently made a play for business travel by integrating its service with business travel agents.

The new initiative, Airbnb for Business, aims to provide travelling business people with a 'home away from home'. All the Airbnb business listings available have upgraded their services and amenities to accommodate corporate travel.

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