Airbnb announced that Connecticut residents who used their services for short-term rentals of their homes earned a total of approximately $27 million in the summer travel season between the Memorial Day and Labor Day weekends.
Within Fairfield County, the summer travel season saw 12,400 guest arrivals using Airbnb locations, generating a total host income of $3.6 million. Middlesex County led the state with 23,700 guest arrivals and $13.1 million in total host income. The top five origin cities for Connecticut”™s Airbnb guests were New York City, Boston, Philadelphia, New Haven and Hartford ”“ Airbnb attributed the latter two localities to Connecticut residents looking to explore their state.
“Throughout the summer of 2019, we have continued to see the significant, positive impact of our short-term rental community across Connecticut,” said Josh Meltzer, head of northeast public policy at Airbnb. “With more guest arrivals this summer than ever before, hosts and small businesses have been able to enjoy the opportunities created by an expanded tourism economy, while the state has benefitted from additional tax revenue as a result of this growth. As we mark yet another historic summer and look ahead, we hope to keep working with state government, as well as towns and cities statewide, to ensure short-term rentals can continue to play a strong role in the entire Connecticut economy.”
The leadership of the state”™s lodging industry does not seem particularly perturbed by Airbnb”™s presence. In an interview earlier this year with the Business Journal, Ginny Kozlowski, executive director of the Connecticut Lodging Association, pointed to a level playing field created by Airbnb”™s revenue agreement with the state”™s Department of Revenue Services to collect occupancy taxes on Airbnb stays. She also did not view the company as a damaging competitor to hotels and motels.
“I think a lot of people who might have been renting property through realty companies for seasonal rentals are using the service,” she said. “I think it will have an impact, but different people use it for different reasons.”
