We love a cheeky Airbnb stay.

And it looks like visitors to Cork appreciate the option too; travel on Airbnb was worth €53 million to the Cork economy in 2022.

According to a new independent report from Oxford Economics, commissioned by Airbnb, in Cork alone, the total number of guest nights booked on Airbnb in 2022 was 436,000.

Airbnb also supported 410 jobs across Cork, and Airbnb-linked spending represented 10.5 percent of all international tourism-related spending across Ireland.

“Our analysis highlights that Airbnb listings have a sizeable impact on the tourism economy in Ireland supporting nearly 5,000 jobs,” said David Goodger, Managing Director, Europe & Middle East, Tourism Economics at Oxford Economics.

“In 2022, guests using the platform accounted for over €500 million of tourism spending with much of it benefitting local tourism businesses, beyond the Hosts on Airbnb themselves.

“As modern travellers seek authentic and varied visitor experiences, Airbnb listings play an important role in enabling visitors to experience Ireland’s tourism offering. They also help to disperse tourism expenditure and bring economic benefits to regional areas of the country which is particularly important for local economies.”

Who’s staying over?

The United States and UK were the top two source markets making up nearly 40 percent of all bookings, which equated to over 1.7 million nights.

European markets such as France and Germany were also significant users of the platform accounting for over 10 percent of nights. The remainder of bookings (19 percent) were mainly by consumers from Canada, Australia, and other European markets.

In 2022, private room bookings accounted for 16 percent of all bookings on Airbnb in Ireland, representing over 700,000 guest nights across the country, and contributing over €80 million to the Irish economy.

The report also shows that many international visitors prefer sharing accommodation as opposed to renting entire homes.

“Airbnb provides authentic and affordable stays for guests in Ireland and drives economic benefits for local Irish families and their communities by generating employment and dispersing tourism across the country,” added Derek Nolan, Head of Public Policy at Airbnb Ireland.

“We want to play our part as a key pillar of the Irish tourism economy, and support the introduction of a Host register to protect Ireland’s tourism, unlock the benefits of hosting for Irish families, and help local authorities to clamp down on property speculators.”