Airbnb has an offer it would be hard to turn down, but it’s only picking a dozen lucky winners. The prize is ten months on the road in free Airbnb listings anywhere, and with a travel allowance thrown in.
Called ‘Live Anywhere on Airbnb,’ the stays will run from September through July 2022, with pre-travel events starting next month. Selection is by interview with a panel; the application is online now.
The ‘life on the road’ theme of the promotion matches a trend Airbnb says it has noticed. According to Chris Lehane, a senior exec, “What we’re seeing on our platform is living, working, travel, all really beginning to blur together into one thing. Among the most interesting manifestations that we have seen is this idea of a digital nomad life.”
Few are likely to beat the record of Debbie and Michael Campbell, who sold their home in 2013 and have since lived in 270 Airbnbs in 85 countries. But while that’s extreme, the trend is real. The company reports that the percent of stays 28 days or longer has jumped from 14% to 24% since last year. In a survey of long-term bookers, Airbnb found that one in ten consider themselves nomads, and 5% plan to give up their primary residence.
