The 'Road to Omaha' is paved with some extra cash for Airbnb hosts.
About 400 hosts are opening their doors during the College World Series this year and Airbnb spokesman Ben Breit says that is good for the city's economy. "More folks are now able to come to Omaha for events like this and a lot of money goes into the pockets of Omaha homeowners. Omaha residents are gonna be earning nearly a half million dollars through Airbnb by opening up their home."
Breit says they are seeing a 30% increase in guests compared to last year's CWS, with about 3,100 visitors using the home-sharing platform. He says each host will be able to pad their bank accounts with a nice chunk of change during the series. "About $800 going to each individual host."
Airbnb, Breit says, allows the city to utilize pre-existing resources to expand lodging and retain as many visitors as possible.