Report shows Airbnb has contributed €74m to regional and rural Irish communities in the past year

New figures show that Airbnb contributed around €74m to regional and rural communities across Ireland in the last year.

Hosts earned €27m by occasionally sharing space in their home - while local businesses benefited from new visitors spending €47m.

In launching the report today - Minister Heather Humphreys says the figures illustrate the positive impact the sharing economy is having on rural Ireland.

Global Head of Customer Experience at Airbnb, Aisling Hassell said, “More and more people across Ireland have joined the growing home sharing movement and are recognising the great value in sharing a spare room, or home when you're away.

"They are of all ages and from all walks of life.

"This report shows the positive impact this new form of tourism is having on more remote parts of the country that haven’t traditionally benefited from tourism, enabling guests to experience some of the most beautiful parts of The Emerald Isle, away from the typical holiday destinations.”