Anyone that has ever used the platform when planning a trip will know how powerful their service is. They have made a great impact on South Africa, and not only on the country’s tourism and economy, but on a lot of the local citizens as well. Since their arrival in 2009, AirBnB has introduced various new products, services and initiatives to assist both developing communities and established businesses. Late last year AirBnB Citizen had their Africa Travel Summit at Guga S’Thebe in Langa to discuss things like Experiences, African Tourism and “how to write our own narrative”. Some of the speakers included Trevor Stuurman, Chris Lehane and Minister Najib Balala, Cabinet Secretary of Tourism, Kenya.
AirBnB | South Africa from Epitome on Vimeo.
In one year, the AirBnB community generated over R10.1 billion in economic impact throughout South Africa. This corresponds to 22 000 jobs supported of which 65% of hosts are women.
AirBnB x Epitome
Epitome was contacted by the AirBnB Citizen team to produce all of their digital media while they were down in Cape Town, South Africa. This included an impact study that served as a video ad, some short content pieces for the World Tourism Day and eventually documenting the entire Africa Travel Summit through videography.
The Summit spanned the course of three days and required our team to shoot, conduct interviews, record sound and create daily edits on the fly as part of the event video production. Here are some of the key learnings from our projects together.
Have a look at the Africa Travel Summit Event Video right here
Our stories are our greatest wealth, so it is important to tell our own stories, to determine our own value.
Trevor Stuurman, Creative Director / Photographer
Key Learnings from the Africa Travel Summit
Technology can connect tourism entrepreneurs in under-served communities to a global marketplace.
Increasing access to technology and training will help more people engage in tourism.
By telling their own stories, Africans will shape the tourism narrative and grow travel on the continent.
AirBnB | World Tourism Day from Epitome on Vimeo.
Travel has advanced the human condition, by creating the opportunity for people to belong
Chris Lehane,
Head of Global Policy | AirBnB
Thank you for reading our story.
