As sustainable tourism becomes more important than ever, hosts and guests on Airbnb are making significant changes to support environmentally conscious travel. 

According to data released by Airbnb, the number of stays at eco-friendly homes increased by 141% over the last year, and more hosts are sharing green spaces than ever before, with more than 364,000 sustainable stays now on the platform.

Furthermore, in 2018, travel to off-the-beaten-track destinations in Thailand grew by 53% year-on-year. This growth is powered by travellers increasingly seeking more local, unique and authentic experiences (based on Airbnb internal data of year-on-year growth of guest arrivals to Thailand for the period of January to December 2018).

The data confirms the growing green trend on Airbnb — hosts sharing homes made from recycled or upcycled materials like glass bottles, tires and even recycled denim. Spaces built with upcycled materials have increased by 175% over the last four years.

“Making a huge difference”

“We have always believed that the Airbnb community supports environmental sustainability around the world, and it’s truly amazing to see that the impact is even bigger than we could have imagined,” said Joe Gebbia, chief product officer and co-founder of Airbnb.

“In North America alone, Airbnb guests use 63% less energy than hotel guests — that’s enough energy to power 19,000 homes for one year. With an impact that big, it’s clear that the Airbnb community is making a huge difference.”