Airbnb Entrepreneurship Academy
Empowering the next generation of emerging tourism entrepreneurs.
We partner with leading non-profit organizations, small business centers, and academic institutions across the globe to support tourism entrepreneurship in their communities.
In 2020, the World Tourism Alliance recognized the Academy as a Best Practice in Poverty Alleviation Through Tourism.
Meet Academy Participants
Meet Academy Participants
Academies Around The World
Academies Around The World
Academies are focused on reaching diverse communities in partnership with local organizations and academic institutions. The curriculum centers on entrepreneurship and experiential learning, fostering community connection and providing a pathway toward hosting with confidence.
United States
We partner with nonprofits, academic institutions and government bodies in urban and rural areas, starting with Beaufort County Community College and the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians in North Carolina. We are working with Brotherhood Crusade, the Russell Center and other local organizations to expand the program to diverse communities across the country. Learn more
India
We partner with the Self Employed Women’s Association of India, a trade union with over 2 million women members across the country, to provide educational opportunities for rural women to become Hosts on Airbnb. Learn more
South Africa
Over the past 5 years, we have partnered with academic institutions like the University of Johannesburg and organisations like Africa!Ignite, and Tourism KwaZulu-Natal to empower women and youth from rural and underserved communities. Learn More
Kenya
In partnership with The Sustainable Travel and Tourism Agenda, the Academy has supported over 75 tourism entrepreneurs from rural, urban and coastal communities in Nairobi, Kilifi and Kisumu Counties since 2019. Learn more
Mexico
We partnered with UNESCO to help entrepreneurs develop authentic cultural experiences that represent Mexico City’s unique, cultural and creative traditions across many diverse neighborhoods.Learn more
Australia
We partner with Australian Rural Tourism to provide resources to help farmers in rural communities embrace the opportunities of agritourism. Learn more
Colombia
We partnered with Pontificia Universidad Javeriana to create the Women Empowerment Innovation program, an innovation hub to support female entrepreneurs in Colombia. Learn more
Thailand
We partnered with the Community Development Department and the Government Savings Bank to promote community tourism in different parts of Thailand.
China
We launched the China Host Empowerment Learning Hub, a content center including a rural empowerment curriculum, textbook and online training system in collaboration with 9 organizations and institutions.
South Korea
We partnered with Sejong University and Kyunghee University to provide a scholarship course for students, selected from a school-wide essay competition.
To learn more about the Academy, please reach out to airbnb-academy@airbnb.com
To see upcoming Academy opportunities in the United States, please visit the US Academy Hub