Recognizing a growing demand for heritage-related travel and the potential economic benefits for local communities and the tourism industry, Airbnb has donated almost ten million euros to heritage organizations in Europe. The launch of a new Airbnb Category, Historical Homes, supports our commitment to heritage tourism and makes it easier for people to discover traditional Airbnbs and to enjoy Europe’s rich heritage.  heritage tourism

What is Heritage tourism?

Historical or heritage tourism means traveling with the primary purpose of exploring the history and heritage of a place. It may mean simple sightseeing of renowned historical architecture, visiting local museums that document the past through artifacts, art, and literary remains, or even something as quaint as sampling authentic historical recipes in their place of origin.

People often combine their love of history with other tourist delights like shopping, amusement park visits, and luxurious resort stays. So places that have a rich heritage and have, at the same time, designed a fine tourist infrastructure to cater to all categories of tourists get rated the highest in terms of popularity as tourist destinations.

Highlights from the past twelve months include:

• The restoration of a traditional townhouse in the historic town of Sambuca, bringing an abandoned ‘1 euro house’ back to life with the aim of boosting tourism as part of a wider commitment to support rural communities and cultural heritage in Europe.
• The launch of a new Historical Homes category, making it easier for guests to discover heritage homes in the UK, Spain, Germany, Italy and France. Since it launched, more historical home Hosts have joined the platform (from 20,000 to 45,000) with more countries to be added soon.
• Showcasing Europe’s rich architectural heritage by offering guests the opportunity to stay in landmark heritage buildings such as Weissenstein Palace in Germany and Villa Balbiano in Italy.
• The launch of the Heritage Academy in France, Italy and Spain, giving prospective Hosts a dedicated toolkit and a personal Host ambassador to offer bespoke training and advice on how to become a Historical Homes Host.
• An epic slow travel journey connecting remarkable historic homes across Europe, shining a spotlight on the appeal of heritage travel through a specially curated railway adventure in partnership with Interrail.
• Donations totaling almost 10 million euros to heritage associations across Europe to boost heritage tourism and help restore some of the continent’s most important historical attractions and homes. Donations have been made in France, the UK, Spain, Italy and Germany.

“With over 45,000 historical homes on Airbnb in Europe, there is a wealth of historical diversity to experience and enjoy. Hosts are celebrating this heritage by welcoming guests into their homes and earning extra income to help preserve them. With increased demand for travel away from tourist hotspots and through partnerships with heritage associations, we can support sustainable travel so more people can enjoy the rich history that makes Europe so special and unique.” Emmanuel Marill, Airbnb Regional Director, EMEA

The benefits of heritage tourism

• Over 92% of reviews for historical homes in Europe are 5 star.
• A typical historical home Host in EMEA earned more than 1,200 euros between the launch of the category in May 2022 and the end of September 2022.
• Just under 70% of historical homes on Airbnb in Europe are located in non-urban areas, helping to disperse the benefits of tourism to lesser visited destinations.

Airbnb’s previous work to support heritage in Europe

Airbnb’s commitment to heritage builds on earlier successes, including heritage projects such as the restoration of an artist’s house in Civita, the Italian Sabbatical to support the revitalization of the village of Grottole and the Italian Villages Project to showcase off-the-beaten-track destinations and sustainable tourism.

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