Airbnb partners with VisitAarhus, first membership in Denmark

Airbnb has today announced it has become a member of VisitAarhus, marking the first membership of Airbnb to an official tourism organisation in Denmark. Under the membership, Airbnb and VisitAarhus will work together to empower hosts on Airbnb to become true Ambassadors of the City, and to promote Aarhus across the world as a unique travel destination.

The announcement was made today by Peer H. Kristensen, Executive Director of VisitAarhus and Pieter Guldemond, Public Policy Manager for Airbnb at the home of Else, a host on Airbnb in Aarhus since 2014. The event was also attended by Jacob Bundsgaard, Mayor of Aarhus and strong supporter of the sharing economy.

“We welcome Airbnb as an engaged member of the community that collaborates on marketing the city, along with all the other large hotels and attractions. This partnership will contribute to the continued growth of tourism in Aarhus in coming years, and is the expression of an active, forward-looking approach.”

Jacob Bundsgaard, Mayor of Aarhus

Aarhus has always been a special city for Airbnb. Airbnb participated in the Sharing Economy Festival in Aarhus; organised a merchant walk where hosts recommended to their guests their favourite places in the neighbourhood; and organised several meet-ups with hosts on Airbnb to exchange best hospitality practices.

Under the new partnership, Airbnb and VisitAarhus will:

  • Join forces to boost the attractiveness of Aarhus;
  • Empower hosts on Airbnb to become true Ambassadors of the City;
  • Exchange insights and learnings about travel trends and the sharing economy.

Peer H. Kristensen, Executive Director of VisitAarhus, said:

“In Aarhus, we have great ambitions for the city and its tourism and our goal is to double the number of guest nights from 1 to 2 million by 2025. We believe home sharing is a positive and necessary contribution to that aim and it lies deep in the DNA of VisitAarhus to embrace innovation and use it constructively to benefit tourism. Through this collaboration we will gain valuable insights into the business and the guests Airbnb helps to attract. Given the value of Airbnb to Aarhus it is important we work together – in the same way as we cooperate with all other actors in the city’s tourism industry.”  

Today, we also published new figures about our community in Aarhus. The report shows that last year, hosts on Airbnb in Aarhus welcomed over 60,000 visitors, which resulted in a combined income of 47 million DKK for Aarhus hosts on Airbnb. The typical host in Aarhus earned an additional 10,500 DKK by sharing their space for 20 nights per year.

“Airbnb’s people-to-people travel is attracting more and more guests to Aarhus and is generating new revenue streams for local families and communities. We are delighted to be working with VisitAarhus on this pioneering collaboration to help promote the best of this beautiful city and its people to the world. Airbnb is partnering with tourism organisations and governments across the world and while this is our first membership to an official tourism organisation in Denmark, we look forward to working with more stakeholders across Denmark to help spread tourism benefits.”

Pieter Guldemond, Public Policy Manager Netherlands & Nordics

Read the Danish press release