Airbnb CEO sees opportunities for growth and travel in remote work.
Key Details
- Airbnb has released a policy paper detailing how remote work can create opportunities for companies and communities that want to take advantage of it.
- “The surge in remote work can be seen in how Airbnb guests are using the platform worldwide, with many choosing to live and work in a location for extended periods of time. In fact, long-term stays (28 days+) continue to be Airbnb’s fastest-growing category by trip length,” says Airbnb.
- “In this guide for governments and destinations, Airbnb outlines several steps they can take to leverage the rise of remote work for their communities.”
- The report offers recommendations for states and areas that are looking to attract remote workers for financial opportunities.
- “[AirBnb] made ‘work from anywhere’ permanent for its 6,000 employees, eliminating pay tiers based on a location’s cost of living and allowing staffers to work up to 90 days a year from any region Airbnb operates in,” says Bloomberg.
Why it’s news
There has been a lot of disagreement in the past few months about the viability of remote work. Studies have shown that having the option of remote work is preferred by a majority of employees but CEOs and employers are nervous about how it affects productivity and company culture.
As we previously reported, at least 27 million employees in the United States currently work from home.
AT&T and Apple have faced backlash from their staff for attempting to mandate remote workers to return to the office.
Airbnb appears to be betting on the phenomenon going forward—leaning into it as a means of increasing its own business, with as much as one-fifth of its current customers staying for long periods of time while working remotely.
“Airbnb is proud to partner with 20 destinations that are embracing the potential of remote work and we look forward to working with many more to attract remote workers and integrate them into the fabric of what makes their communities special,” says Airbnb.
“Many jurisdictions (cities, states, provinces, and countries/regions) are seeking to capitalize on the economic potential of remote work by streamlining rules and regulations to enable remote workers to live and work in their communities.”
Notable quote
“A recent report found that a remote worker incentive program in Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA generated nearly $20 million in additional local gross domestic product and approximately $1.6 million in induced state and local tax revenue in 2021 alone, with every dollar spent on the incentive program resulting in $2.38 in new induced labor income locally,” says Airbnb.