The Bank of America Plaza, Atlanta’s tallest building (left), glows gold above the Midtown skyline as seen from the FOX 5 101 Marietta camera in downtown Atlanta. (FOX 5)
ATLANTA - Some Atlanta Airbnb hosts are gifting their guests tickets to upcoming FIFA World Cup matches at Atlanta Stadium as part of a tournament-wide fan initiative starting Wednesday.
What we know:
Select stays booked in the city will come with tickets included for both group stage and semifinal matches, according to Airbnb.
The promotion is part of a larger campaign across all 16 host cities to place fans in the stands.
Across the tournament, hosts and guests will receive more than 1,300 tickets extending from the group stage through the final match, while select stays average 385 dollars a night.
The ticket-linked homes are being released in waves tied to tournament stages.
Stays paired with the group stage and knockout round of 32 open Wednesday, followed by the round of 16 on June 18, quarterfinals on July 1, semifinals on July 9 and the final on July 16.
By the numbers:
The influx of travelers is expected to bring a massive financial boost to the local community. According to data provided by Airbnb, guests are projected to generate 70 million dollars in total economic impact for Atlanta.
Out of that total, about 38 million dollars is expected to be contributed directly to Atlanta's economy. Much of this activity will driven by international visitors, with Argentina, the United Kingdom and Mexico ranking as some of the top fan bases expected to travel to the city, Airbnb data suggests.
Local perspective:
As fans look for places to stay, unique local properties are seeing significant interest. The top three favorite guest listings in the area included an urban comfort oasis in Midtown, a cottage getaway featuring alpacas and a guest suite in nearby Covington.
What we don't know:
Officials have not yet confirmed how many specific Atlanta properties are participating in the ticket giveaway or how guests are chosen for the select stays. Airbnb has also not specified the exact booking requirements or if there is a minimum length of stay required to qualify for the tickets.
The Source: The information in this story was gathered from data provided by Airbnb, which detailed the tournament ticket release dates, local booking trends and economic impact projections for Atlanta.