-- Airbnb joins the TOP program and will support the sustainability objectives
   of the Olympic Movement. 

-- Economic opportunity for Olympic and Paralympic athletes to develop revenue
   streams through new Airbnb Olympian Experiences 

-- Hundreds of thousands of new Airbnb hosts will support and participate in
   the Olympic Movement by providing accommodation and experiences from now to
   2028 

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) and Airbnb today announced a 
significant agreement to support the Olympic Movement through to 2028. The 
nine-year, five-Games partnership is designed to create a new standard for 
hosting that will be a win for host cities, a win for spectators and fans, and 
a win for athletes.

Photo - 
https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1030693/Airbnb_Worldwide_OlympicPartner.jpg

In line with the Olympic Agenda 2020, the IOC's strategic roadmap for the 
future, and Airbnb's mission to promote sustainable travel, the agreement will 
support the sustainability objectives of the Olympic Movement. These joint 
efforts will be in line with the UN Sustainable Development Goals to provide 
travel options that are economically empowering, socially inclusive and 
environmentally sustainable. The agreement includes accommodation provisions 
that will reduce costs for Olympic Games organizers and stakeholders, minimize 
the need for construction of new accommodation infrastructure for the Olympic 
Games period, and generate direct revenue for local hosts and communities. 
Working together with the International Paralympic Committee (IPC), we will 
work to increase accommodation that supports accessibility for people with 
disabilities or other accessibility needs.

Airbnb Co-founder, Joe Gebbia said: "Airbnb and the IOC have a strong track 
record in creating and accommodating the world's greatest events. Our Olympic 
partnership will ensure that the Games are the most inclusive, accessible and 
sustainable yet, and leave a lasting positive legacy for athletes and host 
communities. Airbnb's mission is to create a world where anyone can belong 
anywhere, and we are proud that the Olympic spirit will be carried by our 
community."

IOC President Thomas Bach said: "This innovative partnership underpins our 
strategy to ensure that the efficient staging of the Olympic Games is 
sustainable and leaves a legacy for the host community. With Airbnb's support, 
we will also develop new opportunities for athletes around the world to develop 
their own direct revenue streams through the promotion of physical activity and 
the Olympic values. From this partnership there will also be direct benefit for 
athletes beyond the US $5 billion the IOC is distributing during this Olympiad 
for their benefit to Organizing Committees and sports organization around the 
world."

Creating New Airbnb Hosts
The partnership will generate hundreds of thousands of new hosts over nine 
years, giving community residents the opportunity to earn extra income by 
providing accommodation and local experiences to visiting fans, athletes and 
other members of the Olympic Movement. For visitors, the Airbnb community will 
offer a more local and authentic way to immerse themselves in the host cities 
and engage with local communities. For the cities themselves, the Airbnb 
community represents a more environmentally sustainable way of accommodating a 
surge in visitors.

Airbnb Olympian Experiences
The IOC and Airbnb will launch Airbnb Olympian Experiences to provide direct 
earning opportunities for athletes, underlining the IOC's efforts to support 
athletes and put them at the heart of the Olympic Movement. To be launched in 
early 2020, this new category will bring Airbnb's goal of providing economic 
empowerment through hosting to athletes across the globe – beyond the timeframe 
and geographical location of the Games. Promoting sport and physical activity, 
these experiences will include everything from the chance to train with an 
Olympian, to exploring a city with an elite athlete. In the coming months, 
Airbnb and the IOC, through the Athlete 365 platform ( 
https://c212.net/c/link/?t=0&l=en&o=2645650-1&h=856336252&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.olympic.org%2Fathlete365%2F&a=Athlete+365+platform 
), will provide support and training to athletes interested in becoming a host 
on the Airbnb Experiences platform ( 
https://c212.net/c/link/?t=0&l=en&o=2645650-1&h=2496097015&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.airbnb.com%2Fs%2Fexperiences&a=Airbnb+Experiences+platform 
).

In addition, the IOC will make at least USD 28 million worth of Airbnb 
accommodation available over the course of the partnership to athletes 
competing at the Olympic and Paralympic Games for competition and training 
related travel. 

Kirsty Coventry, Chair of the IOC Athletes' Commission, said: "On behalf of the 
Athlete's Commission, I am delighted that our new global agreement with Airbnb 
will benefit the athletes directly. This includes direct revenue opportunities 
from sharing their passion for sport through new Airbnb Olympian Experiences, 
as well as direct support for their accommodation needs. We work to empower 
athletes around the world on and off the field of play, and this agreement is 
another example of how we are supporting and advocating for athletes throughout 
their career."

Support for Refugee Athletes
Airbnb will also support the IOC in continuing to address the challenges faced 
by refugees around the world. The IOC has a long-standing commitment to 
refugees, including a cooperation with UNHCR since 1994, the creation of the 
IOC Refugee Olympic Team ( 
https://c212.net/c/link/?t=0&l=en&o=2645650-1&h=4008829673&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.olympic.org%2Frefugee-olympic-team&a=Refugee+Olympic+Team 
) for the Olympic Games Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020, and the creation of the 
Olympic Refuge Foundation ( 
https://c212.net/c/link/?t=0&l=en&o=2645650-1&h=3707433857&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.olympic.org%2Folympic-refuge-foundation&a=Olympic+Refuge+Foundation 
) in 2017. Airbnb has been supporting refugee initiatives since 2015 through 
its "Open Homes" ( 
https://c212.net/c/link/?t=0&l=en&o=2645650-1&h=1692723372&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.airbnb.com%2Fopenhomes&a=%22Open+Homes%22 
) Program, which connects generous hosts with those in need of temporary 
accommodation, including refugees. To date, more than 35,000 people have been 
housed in times of need. Over the course of the partnership, the IOC and Airbnb 
will establish further programs to provide long-term support to refugees.

Airbnb has previously supported the Olympic Games Rio 2016 and Olympic Winter 
Games PyeongChang 2018 as a domestic sponsor, as well as other major sporting 
events. And a World Economic Forum study found ( 
https://c212.net/c/link/?t=0&l=en&o=2645650-1&h=1407370653&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww3.weforum.org%2Fdocs%2FWEF_Understanding_the_Sharing_Economy_report_2016.pdf&a=World+Economic+Forum+study+found 
) that during the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, the added capacity provided through 
Airbnb's platform provided the equivalent of 257 hotels for guests of the 
Games, saving the city in terms of materials use and carbon emissions, while 
also providing around USD 30 million in direct revenue for hosts and generating 
an estimated total economic activity of USD 100 million in three weeks. 
Similarly, during the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018, 
Airbnb hosts earned a collective USD 2.3 million in income providing 
accommodation to 15,000 guests who would have required 46 hotels. And most 
recently, in Japan, Airbnb hosts across the country welcomed more than 650,000 
travelers during the Rugby World Cup period, earning more than USD 70 million 
in host income.

Airbnb becomes the Worldwide Olympic Partner in the exclusive category of 
"Unique Accommodation Products and Unique Experiences Services." Worldwide 
Olympic Partners support every National Olympic Committee and their teams, and 
every Organizer of the Olympic Games, as well as providing support for athletes 
and the development of sport at all levels around the world. In addition, 
Partners promote the Olympic values and help create memorable experiences for 
fans worldwide. 

Jiri Kejval, IOC Marketing Commission Chair, said: "Since it was founded in 
2008, Airbnb has grown to become a global household name. This partnership 
supports the future sustainable operations of the Olympic Movement and 
demonstrates the ongoing appeal of the Olympic commercial programmes to the 
world's leading brands."

As a global Partner, Airbnb will now support the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, 
the Olympic Winter Games in Beijing 2022, the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris 2024, 
the Olympic Winter Games Milano-Cortina 2026, and the Olympic Games in Los 
Angeles 2028.

The agreement also includes marketing rights for the IPC and the Paralympic 
Games through the IOC-IPC long-term collaboration agreement, as well as for the 
Youth Olympic Games. 

SOURCE: Airbnb

CONTACT: Amanda Smith, Amanda.Smith@airbnb.com