(KFOR NEWS  January 28, 2020)  Airbnb, the world’s leading community driven hospitality company, announced today that its Nebraska host community earned a combined $3.1 million in supplemental income while welcoming approximately 15,600  guest arrivals to the State for the five biggest guest arrival weekends in 2019, including summer travel, Labor Day weekend and the Fourth of July.

“Last year was a big year for Airbnb in Nebraska – with more travelers than ever before taking advantage of the unique and affordable options that Airbnb offers, while Nebraskans embraced the large economic opportunity that hosting presents,” said Laura Spanjian, Airbnb Senior Policy Director. “As we jump into a new year, we’re proud of the role our hosts play in expanding lodging capacity during heavy travel weekends, while contributing valuable tax revenue to the State. We hope these insights inspire other Nebraska families to consider becoming Airbnb hosts.”

During the five biggest weekends of 2019, Airbnb hosts in Nebraska $3.1 million. These weekends in 2019 included:

The home sharing community provides significant value through expanded lodging capacity for Nebraska communities. These include college graduations, major conventions and concerts, and during summer tourism. In September 2019, Airbnb began collecting and remitting state sales and county lodging taxes on behalf of its Nebraska host community.

Along with helping hosts earn important supplemental income, Airbnb also helps generate revenue for local economies around the world. According to an Airbnb survey of more than 35,000 responses from our host and guest community in the United States**:

• 92% of Airbnb hosts say they recommend restaurants and cafes to guests.

• 56% of Airbnb hosts say they recommend cultural activities such as museums, festivals, and historical sites to guests.

• 55% of Airbnb hosts say hosting has helped them afford their homes.

• On average, Airbnb guests say 41 percent of their spending occurs in the neighborhood where they stay.

Unlike other business models that siphon the money they generate out of communities, Airbnb activity directly benefits the communities our hosts call home. Since Airbnb was founded, hosts keep 97 percent and have earned over $65 billion sharing their homes that many use to pay the bills and pursue their passions.

In addition, in 2019, Airbnb reached a landmark cumulative $2 billion in tourist-related taxes that have been collected and remitted to local governments on behalf of our global host community over the past four years.

Here’s an overview of the top-10 guest arrivals and total host income, broken down by county.