AirBnB May Solve Rio’s Woes About Accommodations During Olympics 2016

AirBnB could officially step-in to address the accommodation woes of Rio, the hosting country for the Olympics to be held next year.

With the Olympics just around the corner, authorities still have a critical matter to attend to – addressing the sudden and temporary peak in demand for decent lodging. Interestingly, the highly orthodox Olympics committee is willing to think outside the box and has chosen to consider other options than erecting temporary accommodations.

Online home-rental marketplace Airbnb Inc. is one of three firms being seriously considered to provide additional rooms for the 2016 Summer Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. The city is not quite equipped to offer decent hotels to the mad scramble of fans expected in less than a year, but companies like AirBnB could offer locally available, reliable and verified temporary and decent accommodations at a fraction of the cost, reported Reuters relying on three individual sources with direct knowledge of the situation.

Besides AirBnB, the two other short-listed firms are AlugueTemporada and Hotel Urbano. Speaking at a locally held news conference, Carlos Nuzman, president of the Local Organizing Committee, said Rio already had 36,000 of the 40,000 or so rooms it needs for the Olympics. But he added that the committee was working to secure more accommodations.

“We might be in a position in which we can offer much more than forecast and the additional supply could reach 18,000, half of the total amount we have at the moment.”

Rio has always been a concern for the International Olympic Committee and “accommodation,” or the inadequacy of it, has been time and again singled out as an area where progress needs to be made. But partnering with AirBnB, though completely unorthodox, could allow the sun-kissed city to host one of the most prestigious sporting events, without worrying about erecting temporary living arrangements.

Apart from solving the problem of offering a decent place to stay, partnering with service providers like AirBnB could offer multiple other benefits for everyone. Visiting fans will now have options that have been accredited by the Olympics committee. Moreover, these options will be way more affordable than hotels.

However, the biggest, yet oft-neglected advantage, of using AirBnB is the experience visiting fans and athletes will have while staying in the houses of the locals. The opportunity to soak-in local culture while staying within the local community would surely be an added bonus.

Incidentally, it is the first time in history that a major international sporting event has turned to the general public, and their extra rooms, to solve a short-term spike in demand for accommodation. Now it’s up to AirBnB to ensure the listings are decent.

[Image Credit | Tech In Asia]