How to Meet People from Around the World Without Leaving Your House
The Airbnb Ambassador & Super Host Coach, “a.k.a. A-Coach,” sat in her office when the phone rang. It was on the Airbnb business line, so she picked it up.
“Good morning, A-Coach here. How may I help you?”
“Hi, A-Coach. I am Mary from your Facebook group. In the past, I loved traveling around the world. I haven’t had the chance to travel lately, and I miss it. What I liked about traveling was getting to know people in different countries and learning about their cultures. Does Airbnb hosting provide any opportunities to meet people from other countries?”
“Hi, Mary. You are a woman after my own heart. I have the wanderlust like you. I have lived in France, Mexico, Japan and traveled to many places worldwide. I love meeting new people from everywhere, especially those foreign travelers to the United States.
“Hosting foreign travelers, or any travelers for that matter, depends on listing location. If you are in a well-known tourist town, you will attract more travelers just as the types of travelers change with the seasons.
Marketing drives travelers to your listing
“There are other reasons people travel. If your location hosts festivals, conferences, or sporting events, travelers will come. If you have universities, medical schools, or businesses, these all attract followers.
“Your marketing should change with the seasons and events. Travelers already have a reason to visit. Let guests know how convenient it is to go from your place to the event on your listing page.
“Successful hosts pay attention to what is going on in town. They might subscribe to local publications that highlight events. There are subscription services for hosts that provide event information and suggest changing your nightly rate before the occurrence.
“Your town has attractions that bring travelers to the community, and your marketing can get travelers to your listing. Think back to when you traveled to new places. What was it that made you want to visit? Think like a traveler and make your site irresistible.
Being a host gives you a unique opportunity to provide a foreign traveler a taste of American hospitality
“As you know from our Facebook group, I host on Airbnb. Let me share my personal experience with foreign travelers.
“When we opened a few years ago, our very first guests were foreign travelers. Two women from Tibet and the other from Nepal came to our house. We had never met anyone from those countries. They love our poster of Deli Lama sayings.
“Out of curiosity, I recently went to our Airbnb listing site looking for reviews from our foreign visitors. I counted 55 guests whose profile shows their home in a foreign country. Of the more than one thousand stays, many more guests from other countries now live somewhere in the US and stay with us.
“Some of the more exotic countries are Ireland, Saudia Arabia, Czech Republic, Germany, Israel, Jordan, China, Japan, Australia, Taiwan, Singapore, Netherlands, Brazil, Austria, Kazakhstan, UAE, Switzerland, India, Russia, Argentia, Mexico, South Korea, Spain, Czechia, Italy, France, Peru, and, of course, Canada.
“One guest from France stayed a night and then left to spend three months hiking the Pacific Crest Trail from the Mexican border to the Canadian border. One woman came to dive with our migrating humpback whales.
“In what other business can you sit at home and have such great people and adventures come to your door? And, all it asks of us is to provide a clean, safe, and friendly place to stay.”
“That is the most compelling pep talk I have heard about hosting. You gave me many ideas for my listing site. I am thinking of ways to attract foreign guests with local experiences that appeal to them.”
“I am sure you will succeed and receive relationships of a lifetime.”
