Airbnb expands destination partnerships for living and working anywhere

Worldwide: Airbnb has announced that it is partnering with 20 destinations around the world to facilitate working and living from anywhere, particularly digital nomads seeking long-term stays.

It follows the company’s launch of its Live and Work Anywhere initiative earlier this year, which identified the most remote worker-friendly destinations worldwide. Supporting its own commitment to allowing employees to travel and work wherever they please, Airbnb will collaborate with governments and destination marketing organisations [DMOs] to help revive tourism and provide economic support to communities who have struggled under the burden of travel restrictions since the onset of the pandemic.

Destinations were invited to apply to the initiative and were required to outline how they catered to remote workers in terms of entry and visa requirements, reliable wifi and phone service provision, and chances to connect with local communities.

Each destination will have their own landing pages on the Airbnb platform that will provide access to long-term stay listings, tax policies, entry requirements and more.

The 20 destinations that Airbnb will promote include:

• Baja California Sur, Mexico
• Bali, Indonesia
• Brindisi, Puglia, Italy
• Buenos Aires, Argentina
• Caribbean
• Canary Islands, Spain
• Cape Town, South Africa
• Colombia
• Dubai, United Arab Emirates
• Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Italy
• Lisbon, Portugal
• Malta
• Mexico City, Mexico
• Palm Springs, California, USA
• Queensland, Australia
• Rural France
• Salzkammergut, Austria
• Tampa Bay, Florida, USA
• Thailand
• Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA

Over the coming months, each DMO will create its own dedicated custom-built hub for that destination, in partnership with Airbnb. Educational campaigns to promote responsible hosting and travelling as remote workers will also be launched later this year.

Airbnb said that around 20 per cent of guests reported using the platform to work remotely while travelling in 2021 – a trend which has also continued into the first quarter of this year. The company adds that guests have already planned stays in more than 72,000 cities and towns this summer.

Nathan Blecharczyk, co-founder and chief strategy officer of Airbnb, said: “In the two years since the pandemic began, a new world of travel has emerged in which many workers are untethered to an office. In collaborating with these 20 destinations, we want to make it easier for workers to enjoy this flexibility and support the return of safe and responsible travel.

“We know that travel brings significant economic opportunity to local communities and connects people around the world. We’re excited to launch this one-stop shop for anyone thinking of joining the millions of workers that are already enjoying this new trend of working flexibility and travel,” he added.