Guests on Airbnb are projected to spend an estimated €212 million in Irish restaurants and cafes in 2019, according to new figures from the booking website.
The projected spend is an increase of 31% from 2018 when estimated spending totaled €170 million.
Airbnb offers guests the chance to experience local foods and flavours by learning to cook a traditional recipe or discovering neighbourhood restaurants and cafes, through its Airbnb Experiences.
Guests on the platform are projected to spend €86 million in Dublin in 2019, an increase from €75 million in 2018.
Almost 60% of total guest spending in restaurants and cafes in Ireland this year is spent outside of Dublin.
According to the data, guests spent almost a third (32%) of their total trip budget on food when visiting Ireland and nearly half (45%) of all guest spending occurred in the neighbourhood in which they were staying.
According to the survey, 93% of Irish hosts said that they recommend local restaurants and cafes to guests, driving more people to visit places they might not otherwise discover.
Airbnb’s guest community spent at least an estimated €21 billion at restaurants and cafes in 2018 globally, based on data for 46 countries and regions.
If spending levels remain the same, Airbnb guests are estimated to spend over €27 billion at restaurants and cafes in these same locations in 2019.