As part of the Obama administration’s efforts to improve relations with Cuba and less than a year after it first opened doors to licensed US-travellers only, Airbnb has been granted special authorisation by the US Department of Treasury to allow the company to provide accommodation in Cuba to non-US travellers.
“Airbnb was built on our belief that you can belong anywhere. We invite people to visit neighborhoods, meet new people, make new friends, and experience new places like a local,” said Airbnb co-founder Nathan Blecharczyk. “In less than a year, this has proven true in Cuba with more than 13,000 guests from each of the 50 US states. Now, we will be able to offer the same belonging to travellers from any country, while doing our part to preserve what makes Cuba so special and unique.”
Cuba is renowned for its large network of casas particulars, traditional private home-stays run by local micro-entrepreneurs that have been a popular accommodation choice for visitors for many years. Approximately 4,000 casas particular owners have added their homes to Airbnb’s global community, making Cuba the fastest-growing market in Airbnb history. To date, these Airbnb hosts have earned an average of US$250 per booking.
Currently, Airbnb accommodations are spread across nearly 40 different cities and towns in Cuba, with about a third of listings outside Havana, including Trinidad, Viñales, Santiago de Cuba, Matanzas and Cienfuegos. For accommodations on Airbnb in Cuba, all travellers are required to attest they are travelling to Cuba under one of the twelve license categories as directed on the platform during the booking process.
