Airbnb to locate new European HQ in Dublin and create around 100 jobs

Specialist US travel accommodation company Airbnb has chosen Dublin as the location for its European headquarters.

The move is expected to create around 100 jobs for the city, although final figures have not been confirmed.

The San Francisco-based company — which has only been in existence for five years — basically acts as an online accommodation network and communication platform for people looking to rent unoccupied living space in their properties to holidaymakers.

Airbnb chief executive Brian Chesky blogged the news yesterday, saying that Dublin was picked for its welcoming reputation.

Europe has grown to become Airbnb’s biggest market and the company already has seven offices across the continent. However, Dublin will be its European HQ and house its customer service hub — or ‘hospitality innovation lab’.

Explaining his location choice, Mr Chesky said: “Dublin has hospitality in its DNA. Dublin is known the world over for its warm welcome. The city has a reputation for being one of the most hospitable and friendliest places in the world. Dublin is also an emerging technology epicentre in Europe, and one of its most international cities, with nearly every language represented.”

Jobs and Enterprise Minister Richard Bruton met the company’s senior executives during an IDA-led trade mission to the US west coast last year. He said that Airbnb’s Dublin move further bolsters Ireland’s status as the internet capital of Europe.

“[Airbnb’s] decision to choose Ireland is a major endorsement of the talent of our workforce and the innovation ecosystem we have built in recent years,” the minister said.