More than one million tourists who visited the Czech Republic last year were accommodated via Airbnb, which is an increase by over 50 percent on the previous year. The number of Airbnb travellers in the regions outside of Prague increased even more significantly, by 108 percent. The data was released on Wednesday by Anita Roth, head of policy research at Airbnb.

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Most Airbnb travellers who visited the Czech Republic in 2017 came from Germany and the United States. Europeans accounted for 75 percent of all guests, with French and British visitors forming the second and third largest groups. Altogether, they spent more than 320 million euros in the country.

There are currently around 11,000 people in the Czech Republic offering their rooms or flats for rent via the home-rental site. Airbnb tourists spend on average 38 nights per year and their hosts make on average 54 000 crowns (around 2,100 euros). Prague, South Moravia and Silesia are currently the country’s most popular destinations.

Average Airbnb hosts are usually people in their thirties, but, according to Anita Roth, there is now a growing number of older people who offer their homes for rent:

“Around one tenth of the hosts are people over the age of 60, who are retired and have free accommodation space to offer. Renting out the space allows them to continue living in the city centre and pay their bills. The fastest growing Airbnb community in the region consists of women over 60 years of age.”

Airbnb, a website for people to list, find and rent lodging, was established in 2008 in San Francisco. The official Czech-language version of Airbnb was launched in 2012 but the first accommodation offer in Prague appeared as early as in 2008.

According to Anita Roth, the company is ready to cooperate with local politicians on possible regulation of the services that will more strictly enforce the hosts’ responsibilities.