Airbnb, Chamber Team up of ‘Host Mixer’

Airbnb held a local tourism mixer with the Queens Chamber of Commerce, the first event of its kind in the borough with the Queens Host community.

The event, which was also sponsored by the Greater Jamaica Development Corporation and the Queens Economic Development Corporation, allowed 37 hosts from the Jamaica area come to meet other hosts, mingle and get to know local businesses in the community.

This mixer was intended to connect Queens hosts with their neighboring shops, restaurants and cultural institutions, which they may choose to recommend to their guests through a feature known as a Guidebook, where guests can view the best local spots to check out.

Along with building relationships between the Airbnb community and small businesses, this event will also introduce hosts to Airbnb Experiences and Concerts across the borough.

Ninety-five percent of Airbnb hosts recommend local small businesses to their guests. A 2017 study conducted by HR&A Partners showed that Airbnb generated $2.9 billion in economic activity for businesses in 2016, supporting 38,000 jobs statewide.

“Airbnb is proud of the positive effect that home sharing has had on New York City’s business community, encouraging visitors to patronize neighborhoods right here in Queens that were once left out of the traditional tourism economy,” said Josh Meltzer, head of Northeast police for Airbnb. “By partnering with the Queens Chamber of Commerce, we hope to amplify that impact, connecting our Queens host community with even more of their neighboring shops, restaurants and cultural institutions so that they can recommend them to guests.”