Visit Seattle and Airbnb announced a new partnership to increase the economic benefits of tourism and travel throughout Seattle. Visit Seattle and Airbnb will work together to promote and broaden local-led Airbnb Experiences, providing the authentic, unique experiences visitors want and to highlight unique Places to Stay, driving visitor growth and boosting the local economy.
To celebrate this partnership, select Seattle Airbnb hosts will offer their Experiences for just $5 a person for a limited time, offering Seattleites an opportunity to book these unique tours and activities and explore their city in a new way.
Airbnb Experiences are led by passionate locals and small business owners, offering travelers unprecedented access to communities, places and activities they’d never know through traditional tourist travel, like rowing through Seattle’s urban waterways with a Guinness World Record holder or visiting Ballard’s small neighborhood breweries with the director of a documentary about the local craft beer industry. With Experiences and Places to Stay located throughout Seattle, Airbnb brings the economic benefits of tourism to neighborhoods that haven’t typically benefitted from visitor spending.
At the same time, Airbnb Experiences are powerful drivers of entrepreneurship, making it easier for entrepreneurs across the city to share their passions and interests with visitors and launch new business ideas, marketing to the hundreds of millions of people using Airbnb to travel around the world. Through this new partnership, Visit Seattle and Airbnb will educate and encourage Visit Seattle members to become Experience hosts.
“Seattle is a special place with incredible people, cultures and neighborhoods,” said Aoife McArdle, Director of Business Affairs and Social Impact Experiences at Airbnb. “We’re excited to work with Visit Seattle to encourage visitors and locals to get off the beaten path and discover a new side of the city.”
“Visit Seattle recognizes the impact Airbnb has on a destination,” Visit Seattle President & CEO Tom Norwalk said. “By providing guests with unique Seattle experiences, Airbnb can be an influencing factor in driving visitation and this partnership helps connect our local Seattle partners to this far-reaching global audience.”
To celebrate this partnership, five Airbnb hosts in Seattle will offer their Experiences for $5 per person for a limited selection of dates occurring throughout August and September*. This deal will be available for bookings on August 9, starting at 12 p.m. PST, until midnight or when the seats on each Experience are booked, whichever comes first.
Learn the art of rowing and explore Seattle’s iconic waterways with Jordan, a Guinness Record Holder who once rowed from the U.S. to the U.K.
$5 per person; availability: September 1
Weave A Wall Hanging Tapestry with a Seattle Fiber Artist
Join noted fiber artist Mandy in her light-filled studio in Columbia City for a lesson in tapestry weaving. Mandy’s work has been featured internationally and closer to home in museums throughout the northwest. You’ll take home a totally unique piece of modern home decor.
$5 per person; availability: August 30
For years, Tim took his friends on pub crawls to small, innovative neighborhood breweries. Now Tim, who once made a documentary about the local beer scene, has expanded his circle of friends to include visitors to the Pacific Northwest.
$5 per person; availability: September 1
Make Macarons with a Local Chocolatier
Host Michael founded a local artisan chocolate company. In this Experience, Micahel will lead a hands-on macaron making class. Learn the secret to bake this tasty treat, then take your macarons home to share with your family and friends.
$5 per person; availability: August 30
Take a Clam Digging Field Trip
Host Dan describes this Experience as a marine biology field trip. Take the ferry from Seattle to Bainbridge Island, then head to the Hood Canal, where you’ll learn how to dig for clams and see coastal wildlife and forest. Dan will share his favorite recipes, giving guests great recipe ideas to use upon their return to the Emerald City. Note: guests will also need to purchase a recreational shellfish license.
$5 per person; availability: August 30
*Hosts may receive compensation from Airbnb in exchange for offering this special pricing to guests.
