• Airbnb has announced a new Africa Pledge initiative, committing $500 000 to non-profit organisations across the continent.
• The Pledge aims to identify and unlock tourism opportunities across Africa over the next two years.
• Airbnb also plans to expand its Entrepreneurship Academy to five more countries over the next two years.

Tourism remains a key economic sector for South Africa in a post-pandemic world, which is why the announcement of Africa Pledge initiative by Airbnb will be of interest to those in the industry.

The Africa Pledge was announced at Africa Travel Summit, held in Johannesburg today, with the initiative committing to assist local non-profit organisations with access to a pool of $500 000 (~R9.5 million) when it comes to leveraging new tourism opportunities on the African continent.

“Over the next two years, the pledge will help governments and tourism organisations across Africa to identify and unlock new tourism opportunities; support Hosts and guests, and their communities; empower the next generation of tourism entrepreneurs; and support investment in the tourism ecosystem,” Airbnb explained in a press release sent to Hypertext.

“This pledge is an important demonstration of Airbnb’s continued commitment for a truly sustainable, diverse and inclusive tourism industry – a travel economy for all. We believe in the power of public and private sector partnerships to support this important work, and we look forward to working together with governments, non profits and tourism organisations across Africa to make travel and hosting more accessible, safe, diverse, and affordable for everyone,” added Velma Corcoran, Regional lead for MEA at Airbnb.

In terms of what the Pledge will target moving forward, a handful of objectives and goals have been outlined for the next two years. To that end, Airbnb says it will work with local stakeholders to identify organisations that should be considered for awards, with grants distributed by the Airbnb Community Fund.

Added to this it says it will publish an Inclusive Tourism Growth White Paper next year to support countries in Africa in identifying opportunities across tourism. Furthermore, the accommodation/rental platform will provide access to its City Portal to an additional 10 African countries to deliver data, insights, and tools to local authorities and tourism organisations.

Other projects planned over the next two years include the expansion of the “Airbnb Entrepreneurship Academy to five new countries across the next two years.”

“Already available in South Africa and Kenya, the Academy is an entrepreneurship development program focused on introducing individuals from diverse and underrepresented communities to hosting on the Airbnb platform in coordination with local community partners,” the company noted.

With Airbnb receiving a ban in New York in September this year, it is clear that the technology company is trying to do more when it comes to engaging with tourism boards and governments, especially as it cannot afford to be banned in other regions.