Vacation rental giant Airbnb is lobbying US lawmakers again, but this time it’s not over the usual regulatory issues.
Airbnb is simply pitching for business with the federal government.
It reckons the taxpayer would save about $4.1 billion over 10 years if federal employees used Airbnb listings during business travel rather than hotels, according to a new study the company released.
"If federal employees had stayed in Airbnb listings instead of hotels in the last fiscal year, they could have saved over $413 million in taxpayer dollars. Money spent housing federal employees at Airbnb listings while traveling on official business would go directly to taxpayers who share their space on Airbnb," the report said.
Federal employees spent $3.1 billion last year alone when on the road, and just five hotel groups pocketed more than $1.7 billion in taxpayer dollars.
It also found $318.4 million in taxpayer dollars were spent at hotels managed by non-US companies.
"If federal employees only spent 25% of their nights on the road in Airbnb listings, the federal government could potentially save $103.3 million a year, or more than $1 billion over 10 years," the study said.
"This is good for taxpayers and good for hosts, who keep up to 97% of what they charge for their listing," said Nick Papas, Airbnb’s director of public affairs.
It may nake fiscal sense but Airbnb’s compelling arguments are unlikely to be embraced wholeheartedly by the hotelier-in-chief in the White House.
