Airbnb bookings having big impact in Kilkenny
Airbnb bookings were worth €9 million to the Kilkenny economy in 2022, according to a new report issued by Oxford Economics.
The report states that the total number of guest nights booked in Kilkenny on Airbnb last year was 79,000.
It has also linked Airbnb to 80 jobs in Kilkenny and to 320 jobs in the wider South-East region.
In addition to these findings, the estimated value of Airbnb guest spending to the local economy was valued at €10 million for 2022.
This report comes as government actively seek to further regulate short-term lets in a bid to bring more properties back into the private rental sector.
In a county like Kilkenny where tourism is such a large economic driver, and where private evictions continue to mount up, it remains to be seen what impacts such regulations will hold for locals and tourists alike.