Airbnb to work closely with Caribbean Tourism Organization

The Caribbean Tourism Organization and Airbnb plan to
develop policies and recommendations on the sharing economy in the Caribbean.

Under an agreement signed Feb. 7 at CTO’s headquarters in
Barbados by CTO secretary general Hugh Riley and Airbnb’s Caribbean public
policy director Shawn Sullivan, both organizations will share data and studies
about the impact of the sharing economy, identify ways to make it more inclusive
and broaden the tourism benefits to those running nontraditional
accommodations.

CTO will get access to Airbnb’s data as well as economic
analyses of Airbnb’s impact on local economies.

“It is important for us to examine all aspects of this
important segment of the sharing economy. By clearly understanding Airbnb’s
massive influence in capturing consumers’ interest in unique accommodations, we
will be able to advise our members and to allow the Caribbean to achieve the
goals of year-round profitability, visitor satisfaction and sustainable tourism
development,” Riley said.

Currently there are 41,000 listings across the Caribbean; a
typical host earns approximately $3,900 a year.

“The Caribbean is an important and growing market for
Airbnb and we expect continued growth there,” Sullivan said.

Within the region, Jamaica and Aruba already have signed
similar agreements with Airbnb.