REPORT MAY Airbnb Makes Travel Greener

Transcription

1 REPORT MAY 2018 Airbnb Makes Travel Greener

2 Table of contents Overview 02 Making listings green: Opinions from users and the public 03 An impact study 06 Airbnb in action for the environment 08 Boosting sustainability by partnering with cities 10 Green travel beyond home sharing 12 1

3 Overview Since our founding in 2008, more than 300 million guests have arrived at Airbnb listings in over 81,000 cities and 191 countries and territories around the world. Today, the number of listings shared on our platform has reached nearly 5 million. Airbnb not only provides opportunities for people to connect and experience communities authentically - it is also a sustainable and environmentally friendly way to travel. In fact, our growth has been driven, in part, by consumers who are increasingly interested in home sharing as a sustainable alternative to mass travel. Millennials, a demographic which has fully embraced home sharing, increasingly cite climate change and environmental issues as one of the greatest challenges facing the world today. They are also more likely to support eco-friendly measures such as limiting greenhouse emissions. However, while tourism has become an important part of the global economy, its environmental impact is often overlooked. Technological and other advances in the industry that have driven its growth have far outpaced the technological and other changes that could reduce this impact, as well as the carbon footprint generated by travel. Meanwhile, urban populations around the world are exploding. In 1950, only 83 cities had a population of over 1 million. Today, that number has reached 500 and it is estimated that by 2050, three quarters of the global population will reside in cities. The question remains as to how to ensure people are living better lives with a balanced use of resources. Given these trends, Airbnb is taking a proactive stance to promote sustainable tourism. Through partnerships, programs and events, Airbnb will expand our efforts to build on this momentum and further support environmentally friendly travel in China and around the world. In this report, we examine the growing importance of green travel and sustainable tourism based on public surveys, environmental impact assessments, and case studies. The report shows that Chinese travelers are increasingly making choices on where to stay and how to experience cities based on environmental considerations. 2

4 Making listings green: Opinions from users and the public A stunning percentage of Airbnb hosts actively incorporate green practices into hosting to make home sharing greener and make travel more sustainable. According to a survey of Chinese hosts conducted by Airbnb in 2017, 94 percent of hosts use green practices and encourage their guests to do so, too. In addition, as many as 63 percent of hosts choose to provide bulk toiletries rather than single-use toiletries for their guests, which reduces the consumption of disposable plastic for packaging; 59 percent of hosts encourage guests to use public transportation by providing guidance or public transportation cards; and 45 percent of hosts use green cleaning products. 3

5 94% of Chinese hosts incorporate environmentally friendly practices 84% of Chinese guests agree that the environmental benefits of home sharing factor into their choice of Airbnb Notably, the percentage of Chinese hosts who are adopting various types of environmentally friendly methods in hosting is higher than the percentage across Airbnb s global host community. Globally, 87 percent of hosts use green practices in their hosting, compared to 94 percent of Chinese hosts; 28 percent of hosts provide guidance on public transportation use, compared to 59 percent in China; and 47 percent of hosts provide bulk toiletries globally, compared to 63 percent of hosts in China. The growth of Airbnb in China has been, in some part, driven by travelers interest in home sharing as a sustainable option. According to Airbnb s survey of our community in 2016, 84 percent of Airbnb guests staying at Chinese listings said that the consideration of home sharing as environmentally sustainable travel to some extent led them to use Airbnb, compared to 72 percent of Airbnb guests around the world. 4

6 Even those who have not used Airbnb or another home sharing platform recognise the environmental benefits of home sharing. According to a third-party survey commissioned by Airbnb in China in 2017, 92 percent of Chinese respondents care about the issue of environmental protection. At the same time, 92 percent of respondents agreed that home sharing can play a role in protecting the environment, and 91 percent of respondents agreed that making use of homes that might otherwise sit vacant - instead of new construction - can help protect and preserve the environment. 5

7 An impact study Data shows that compared to traditional accommodations, home sharing can effectively reduce energy consumption and carbon footprints, therefore reducing the negative effects on the environment caused by tourism activity. According to research conducted by Airbnb and Cleantech, by choosing Airbnb instead of hotels, energy consumption of Airbnb guests staying at US listings is 63 percent lower, and the energy savings are equivalent to the annual energy consumption of 280,000 homes. Meanwhile, staying at Airbnb listings instead of hotels can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 61 percent, equivalent to the greenhouse gas emissions of 560,000 cars. Guests using Airbnb have reduced water usage by 12 percent, a reduction equal to the capacity of 1,700 Olympic-sized swimming pools. The amount of waste also was 32 percent lower than waste produced by hotel guests, for a total of 37,000 tons. Meanwhile, Airbnb guests staying at European listings have achieved energy savings equal to 566,000 homes. The water reduction is equal to the capacity of 9,000 Olympic-sized pools, and 6

8 reduced greenhouse gas emissions are equal to emissions of 1.6 million cars. The amount of waste reduction is 81,200 tons. 10,800 Olympic-sized swimming pools, water reduction equivalent in Europe and North America 875,000 homes, energy savings equivalent in Europe and North America With the increase in the number of Airbnb listings and the growth in guest arrivals, the positive environmental effects Airbnb can bring will be amplified to help build a greener and more environmentally friendly tourism industry. 7

9 Airbnb in action for the environment Airbnb is committed to encouraging more hosts and guests to incorporate green practices in their hosting. In China, through our partnership with Friends of Nature, Airbnb is providing information to our host community by sharing tips on how to make a listing green and inviting qualified experts to share knowledge of how to make hosting more sustainable. At present, a great number of Chinese hosts have spontaneously renovated their homes by using smart home systems such as sensors for smart lighting, temperature and humidity monitoring so that lights can be turned off automatically when guests are away from listings and so that hosts can monitor electricity use to reduce unnecessary energy consumption. Some hosts are also including green tips in their check-in information, reminding guests to bring their own toothbrushes and other daily necessities, to save water, and to turn off air conditioning when they are away from their listings. Beyond China, Airbnb has established a wide range partnerships around the world to improve the environmental friendliness of home sharing. In Cape Town, Airbnb partnered with a water management consulting agency to educate hosts about water resource knowledge and water-saving tips so that hosts can share with their guests. During the Rio Olympic Games in 8

10 2016, Airbnb partnered with the UN Environment Programme on a Green Passport campaign, providing green travel information and materials in order to promote green accommodation. In addition to providing knowledge support, Airbnb has been encouraging hosts to adopt clean technology and smart home devices. For example, in North America, Airbnb is working with Vivint Smart Homes to help hosts get access to thermostat management systems, which work with smart devices throughout the home to determine when guests leave the listing, then automatically adjust the temperature to conserve energy while guests are out exploring. 9

11 Boosting sustainability by partnership with cities For cities that host major events, Airbnb uniquely offers them the ability to scale accommodations to match the influx of travelers. By providing temporary housing for thousands of visitors, cities and communities can avoid building permanent infrastructures, which can further tax the environment. Net benefits include reducing the amount of materials used in construction, their associated emissions, and the ongoing burdens of permanent structures, which are likely to become underutilized as soon as the event is over. On Airbnb, hosts can choose to unlist their homes after an event without leaving unused, newly constructed infrastructure. Airbnb has been actively working with local governments and event organizers to provide sustainable and scalable accommodations for major events including the US presidential conventions, the FIFA World Cup, Pope Francis s visit to Philadelphia in 2015, the 2016 Summer Games in Rio de Janeiro, and the recent 2018 Winter Games in PyeongChang. 10

12 As the official alternative accommodations sponsor of the 2016 Rio Games, Airbnb hosts welcomed 85,000 guests around the world with 48,000 listings. Out of total 5 million tourists that Rio received, Airbnb covered nearly one-fifth of the city s accommodation needs, the equivalent of 257 hotels. If these accommodation needs were met by building new hotels, the new permanent structures would be left unused after the Olympics. At the recent 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics, Airbnb hosts welcomed 15,000 guests. This figure is the equivalent of adding 7,500 hotel rooms or 47 average-sized hotels operating at full capacity. 257 new hotels Rio de Janeiro would have needed to build to accommodate visitors for the 2016 Summer Games; instead, visitors used Airbnb 47 new hotels Gangwon Province would have needed to build to accommodate visitors for the 2018 Winter Olympics; instead, visitors used Airbnb Home sharing also enables tourists to explore non-traditional tourist areas, bringing economic benefits to these communities and promoting local economic development. During the 2014 World Cup, Airbnb guests stayed in more than 50 neighborhoods in Rio, and during the Rio Olympic Games in 2016, they stayed in 70 neighborhoods, helping US hosts earn $30 million and injecting $100 million into Rio s economy. 11

13 Green travel beyond home sharing In June 2017, Airbnb partnered with the National Parks Foundation of the United States to provide more convenient and affordable accommodations for visitors to US national parks. A dedicated page on Airbnb s website helps visitors easily find listings around parks including the Grand Canyon National Park, Rocky Mountain National Park, and Olympic National Park that are all familiar to Chinese travelers. Through this project, residents in the communities surrounding the parks can benefit economically from home sharing while using existing homes to limit the dedication of new resources and help protect pak environments. Beyond home sharing, however, Airbnb s recently launched offer of Experiences is also encouraging sustainable tourism. Through Experiences, guests can explore places that are off the beaten path and engage in local activities. Through Social Impact Experiences, travelers can spend time with knowledgeable hosts representing local nonprofits and engage with their causes, such as sustainable living, local youth programs and local artisan movements, with 100% of the fee going to the nonprofits. For example, in London, the co-founder of Urban Bees shows guests what people can do to help ensure the survival of honeybees, provides a tour of urban beehives, and treats guests to a locally harvested honey tasting. In Paris, the Association Fauve, an institution that strives to 12

14 provide healthy, sustainably grown food, hosts a "Sustainable Cooking in Paris" Experience in which guests can participate in everything from purchasing to cooking. In San Francisco, visitors can join a US Coast Guard-licensed captain to experience the magic of the San Francisco Bay and raise awareness of preserving the marine environment. 13