Pacific Trade Invest (PTI) Australia and Airbnb have announced a partnership that will promote inclusive, sustainable tourism and empower Pacific Island communities.

As part of the agreement, PTI Australia and Airbnb will provide training on the benefits of home sharing through a series of workshops with locals and potential accommodation providers across the Pacific Islands, as well as share data on emerging travel trends.

The first workshop will be held in Apia, Samoa on Wednesday, February 14  and is being facilitated with the support of the Samoan Tourism Authority and the Samoan Chamber of Commerce.

Further workshops are planned in the Cook Islands, Vanuatu, French Polynesia, New Caledonia and Fiji.

Chad Morris, general manager Investment and Tourism, PTI Australia said that Airbnb provides a great opportunity for those living in the Pacific Islands to generate extra income by sharing their extra space.

“Pacific Islanders are naturally amazing hosts, and we’re seeing the emergence of a new type of traveller who is looking for a different holiday experience – travellers that may have not considered the Pacific Islands before,” Mr Morris said.

“Through Airbnb, Pacific Island families will have an avenue to take advantage of these new travellers and generate extra income from a spare room or fale they may have. The system behind Airbnb for hosts is simple and accessible to many Pacific Islanders as you just need access to a mobile phone.

“This is why as part of PTI Australia’s Digital Tourism program we have partnered with Airbnb.

“We see it’s important that we bring these workshops into the Pacific so more people can learn and take advantage of the opportunity that Airbnb provides.

“The response from the Pacific has been fantastic we are working closely with local Tourism Authorities and Chambers of Commerce who can see the potential and value of the collaboration for their communities.”

Brent Thomas, Head of Public Policy Australasia, Airbnb said the partnership demonstrates Airbnb’s deep commitment to further strengthening local communities and tourism in the Pacific Islands.

“This ground-breaking partnership with PTI Australia will help encourage more people to become hospitality entrepreneurs, grow the tourism industry and strengthen Pacific Island communities.

“It will allow us to expand our engagement in the region and achieve our vision of a world where anyone can belong anywhere,” Mr Thomas said.

“Importantly, this partnership also signals our strong desire to work collaboratively with the community, the tourism industry and government.”

In 2017, there were more than 3,010 Airbnb listings across Fiji, French Polynesia, New Caledonia, Vanuatu, Cook Islands and Samoa, and the average Airbnb host in these countries earns on average USD$3,800 (FJ$7,688) a year from hosting.

Feedback:  maraia.vula@fijisun.com.fj