Airbnb and Government of Puerto Rico announce joint initiative to drive tourism

Puerto Rico Governor Ricardo Rosselló and Airbnb Co-Founder, CEO and Head of Community Brian Chesky announced at Airbnb’s headquarters the launch of a new partnership designed to drive tourism to the Island and support the region as it builds back after Hurricane Maria.

As part of this partnership, Airbnb has launched its popular Experiences feature on the Island, helping guests enjoy the authentic Puerto Rico through unique, handcrafted activities hosted by locals. The company also will donate its fees from trips booked in Puerto Rico for the next three months to organizations including All Hands and Hearts, a volunteer relief non-profit, and local recovery organizations. Airbnb and the Puerto Rico Tourism Company (PRTC) also will launch a destination marketing campaign highlighting the diverse experiences the Island has to offer. This initiative is undertaken as part of Airbnb’s Office of Healthy Tourism, which was officially launched last month. The company will also be holding events in New York and Florida to celebrate these new initiatives.

“Puerto Rico has long been a top destination for travelers looking to experience its rich culture, beautiful scenery, and incredible hospitality,” said Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky. “Its determination in the face of such daunting challenges has amazed and inspired us, and we look forward to working with these important partners to unlock the magic of the Island for more travelers from around the world, and empower Puerto Rico’s businesses and people to build an even stronger travel industry than before the hurricane.”

“Leveraging the power of the Airbnb platform, we have the opportunity to increase visibility of the Island as a travel destination, making it more sustainable, more diverse, and allowing more residents to benefit from the economic opportunities that tourism provides,” added Governor Rosselló.

Airbnb Trip Fee Donations

To celebrate the launch of Experiences, incentivize travelers to book their next trip, and help with rebuilding efforts, Airbnb will be donating its fees from trip bookings (both homes and Experiences) for the next three months to organizations including All Hands and Hearts and local recovery non-profits.

Launch of Airbnb Experiences

Airbnb’s business in Puerto Rico has rebounded since Hurricane Maria. Since October 2017, nearly 3,000 hosts in Puerto Rico have welcomed 112,000 guests, earning more than $17 million. The launch of Airbnb Experiences on the Island will contribute even more to the local economy. At launch, nearly 50 Experiences across the Island range from a sailing experience at sunset in San Juan Bay, to hiking in a nature reserve in the mountains of Puerto Rico, to touring San Juan’s nightlife with a local musician.

Joint Destination Marketing Campaign

Last month, Airbnb launched its Office of Healthy Tourism, an initiative to drive local, authentic and sustainable tourism to regions around the world. Through its Voluntary Collection Agreement in August 2017 with the government of Puerto Rico, Airbnb has already remitted $1.6 million in taxes to the Puerto Rico Tourism Company (PRTC) to help promote tourism to the Island, and in the first partnership announced since the launch of the Office of Healthy Tourism, Airbnb will be further working with the PRTC to market destinations on the Island. This campaign will include a dedicated landing page on Airbnb’s platform to inspire travel to Puerto Rico, an email marketing campaign driving interest to local and authentic experiences on the Island, and social media campaign highlighting the region to Airbnb’s global community of travelers.

“As one of the largest travel brands, Airbnb has the opportunity to showcase the beauty of Puerto Rico to an audience of millions,” said Carla Campos, Acting Executive Director of the Puerto Rico Tourism Company. “We look forward to showing the Airbnb community worldwide that Puerto Rico is open for business and ready to host them.”