Brazilian Hosts Prepare to Welcome Thousands of Sports Spectators into Airbnb Homes for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games

SÃO PAULO—Airbnb, the world’s leading community-driven hospitality company and official alternative accommodation services supplier for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, today announced that hosts in Rio de Janeiro will welcome more than 55,000 guest arrivals from more than 110 different countries for the Summer Games. On average, Airbnb guests are paying roughly US $170 per night for their listing in Rio, with each one averaging a number of three guests per reservation.

The leading group of guests using Airbnb during the Games, are in fact from Brazil, which is a shift from what occurred during the World Cup, where only six percent of bookings came from domestic travelers. At the moment, Brazilian travelers represent 49 percent of bookings for Rio 2016. Following Brazil is the United States, Argentina, United Kingdom and France to round up the top five countries sending fans to cheer for their teams.

“We’ve been working together with our host community in Rio to prepare for the arrival of thousands of fans who will be traveling from both near and far to witness this once-in-a-lifetime event,” said Leonardo Tristão, Country Manager for Brazil. “Regardless of where you are from or what nationality you represent, our Airbnb community is here to welcome you and host you with real, authentic Brazilian hospitality.”

Airbnb guests traveling to Rio are not only traveling in groups, they are also taking advantage of their time in the “Marvelous City” by staying an average of more than six nights in their listings. There’s also been a significant amount of first-time users who have booked with Airbnb for the Games, with 60 percent of guests using the platform for the first time. Reservations are currently distributed across 54 distinct neighborhoods in Rio, with the majority of listings booked in the most popular ones including Copacabana, Ipanema, Barra da Tijuca, Leblon and Botafogo. However, there are also reservations in neighborhoods outside the traditional tourist zones such as Meier, Del Castilho and Marechal Hermes.

In addition to seeing an increase in first-time guests, there’s also been an increase in first-time hosts with 62 percent having their first booking ever during the Games. With now more than 35,000 active listings in greater Rio de Janeiro, the growth in supply has vaulted Rio back into the shortlist of largest markets of listings in the world, placing it in fourth place behind New York, London and Paris. The city has experienced a 33 percent growth in supply in just the past three months.

Airbnb, which began its operations in Brazil in 2012 with 3,500 listings, has seen significant growth over the last few years and now offers more than 90,000 listings in the entire country.