In the evaluation of Skål International for the 2020 Sustainable Tourism Awards, the innovation carried out by Fairbnb.coop may revolutionizes the way of staying, by putting the local communities in the center of attention.

After the recent acknowledgment from the European Commission, we have now received from Skål International, which with its 13500 associates distributed in over 100 countries around the world is one of the most important global networks in the travel sector, the evaluation carried out by the three independent judges for the 2020 Sustainable Tourism Awards. Thanks to its pilot projects in different cities, Fairbnb.coop was chosen to be the more promising company out of the category “urban accommodations”.

Fairbnb.coop’s innovation, based on local communities

These, in the opinion of Skål International, are the main innovations that qualify Fairbnb.coop’s project:

• Cultural preservation: offering innovating social experiences for locals and travelers to engage and dialogue in a mutually beneficial setting.
• Local community involvement: reinvesting profits into the local community projects that are guided by the residents themselves.
• Employee participation & training: a very innovated multi-stakeholder model for decision making.
• Disruptive nature innovation of Airbnb with stronger focus on local communities.

Genoa: an advanced experience towards sustainability

Volunteers recover food surpluses to be redistributed to families in difficult conditions in Genoa.

Fairbnb.coop’s candidacy for the Sustainable Tourism Awards was based in particular on the experience of Genoa’s local node, where crowdfunding is devolved to intercultural laboratories in the old town as well as to food redistribution projects in favor of the poorest families in the suburbs.

Most of the Genoese hosts on Fairbnb.coop stand out for their attention and commitment to the sustainability and safety of their accommodations.

With the Municipality of Genoa, Fairbnb.coop has signed an agreement in the name of transparency: it directly collects the tourist taxes owed by travelers and pays them into the municipal coffers.

Fairbnb.coop: a great potential that depends on its values

The gratifying judgment of Skål International was mainly reasoned by the following aspects:

• Fairbnb.coop revolutionizes the way of staying, by putting the local communities in the center of attention. Whilst it competes with the unicorn business Airbnb, it owns a number of USPs (Unique Selling Propositions) that are promising.
• Although the business concept is not new, it is an innovation in itself by translating it to be sustainable in its nature. The focus on local consumption at 0km, by promoting locals to be the ones to offer the houses and by incorporating local experiences, it is the locals who benefit.
• With its pilot projects in different cities throughout the past years, Fairbnb.coop proved its business model to viable and simultaneously raised 50% of its profits to be donated.
• Fairbnb.coop is up to compete with one of the most disruptive tourism accommodation providers, but has great potential if followed through with its values.