Airbnb activity pumps $1.7B into Puerto Rico’s economy
Airbnb generated more than $1.7 billion for Puerto Rico’s economy in 2024, according to internal data the company released, which it said shows how the platform is reshaping where tourism dollars circulate on the island.
The analysis was produced using Impact Analysis for Planning, or Implan, a regional economic modeling tool that estimates the ripple effects of specific economic activities. Airbnb said the combined activity of hosts and guests supported more than 30,000 jobs and contributed more than $970 million in labor income.
Executives said the results point to a tourism pattern in which visitors spend heavily in the neighborhoods where they stay rather than in traditional tourist corridors.
“In 2024, Airbnb continues to consolidate itself as a key engine of the economy in Puerto Rico,” said Ángel Terral, Airbnb’s country manager for the Caribbean, Mexico and Central America.
“The impact is evident: for every dollar invested in a stay, travelers generated almost four additional dollars in the local economy, supporting more than 30,000 jobs and close to $1 billion in labor income,” he said.
Airbnb said each reservation sets off a chain of local activity involving hosts, small businesses and service providers. Its data showed that nearly half of guest spending took place in surrounding neighborhoods, which the company said “helps decentralize the benefits of tourism” and channels money into communities outside mass-tourism corridors.
Restaurants received more than $733 million from guest spending, according to the company’s breakdown. Supermarkets received more than $353 million, entertainment more than $302 million, shopping more than $296 million and transportation more than $337 million.
The company also reported a significant level of local use. Nearly one in five reservations in 2024 came from Puerto Rico residents booking stays within the island, a trend it said reflects steady demand for short-distance travel.
Airbnb said the platform has broadened Puerto Rico’s appeal by facilitating “unique connections between travelers and hosts” and by offering lodging options that highlight the character of specific communities. Terral said travelers are increasingly staying outside major tourist centers.
“This model demonstrates how the platform contributes directly to the well-being of communities, beyond the main tourist areas, throughout the island,” he said. “Traveling with Airbnb is also betting on the economic growth of Puerto Rico.”
Airbnb said the data shows how host operations, guest spending and secondary ripple effects combined to generate direct, indirect and induced economic activity.
The company described the findings as evidence of its growing role as “a fundamental economic engine in Puerto Rico,” one that also supports employment and small businesses.
