HOSPITALITY SECTOR
Diverse guests give Airbnb hosts a new lease of life
Eugene Yiga explores the highlights of becoming part of Airbnb’s vibrant and welcoming community
From its 2008 beginning in San Francisco, Airbnb has now spread to more than 34,000 cities in 191 countries across the world. There are currently more than 2-million listings across the globe, which have hosted more than 60-million guests. "SA is an incredibly beautiful and diverse country, with so much to offer visitors," says Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky. "We have a vibrant and welcoming community here, which we look forward to expanding so that even more visitors can benefit from the unique and local experiences our hosts provide." When filmmaker Guy Spiller had a few projects cancelled and needed to find another income stream, he turned to Airbnb. "My wife Tanya’s 91-year-old father had mentioned Airbnb when we visited him in the Drakensberg at Christmas so I looked it up online," he recalls. "We had a few vacant rooms in the house as some of our children had left home in the last few years and so it was easy to start." Since joining in March 2015, Airbnb has worked well for the Joha...
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