Airbnb’s 2025 Summer Release isn’t just another tech update, it’s a shift in how we experience travel and how local communities can profit from it. For the first time, service providers, including chefs, guides, wellness pros, nail techs and creatives, can offer their skills directly on the platform. But this isn’t just for digital nomads or tech-savvy youth. There’s a bigger opportunity here: to preserve, package, and share our cultural knowledge in meaningful ways.
More Than a Room: Selling the Full Caribbean Experience
With Airbnb Services now available in 260 cities and counting, the door is wide open for local professionals to turn what we’ve always done into bookable experiences.
Think about it:
- A bush tea session in your garden where guests learn what each leaf is for headaches, belly aches, or heartbreak.
- An afternoon making guava or mango wine, then bottling it with the guest’s name and sending a reminder a year later when it’s ready to drink.
- Storytime around the fire or on a breezy veranda, where the old heads share folklore and tales that never made it into textbooks.
These are the memories people want to take home. And now they’re willing to pay for them.
How to Show Up and Stand Out
Here’s how to make your offering irresistible on Airbnb:
1. Know Your Value
You’re not “just” a cook, guide, or herbalist. You hold knowledge that others are hungry for. Package it in ways that honour the tradition and make it accessible. A walking tour that ends in a cooking demo or a storytelling session paired with a locally made drink.
2. Make It Visual and Personal
Your Airbnb listing needs to tell a story. Use clear photos. Yes, that means tidying up the space first and write in your own voice. Show who you are and why this isn’t something you just learned last year. It’s your life.
3. Keep It Real (and Legal)
You may need permits, insurance, or some kind of professional license depending on your service and country. Airbnb will be checking. But don’t let that scare you. If you’ve been doing this work in your community, you’ve already got most of what you need.
4. Follow Up and Stay Connected
The experience shouldn’t end when the guest leaves. A follow-up message, a thank-you note, or even a reminder when the wine’s ready helps keep the relationship going. That’s how you build repeat customers and word-of-mouth referrals.
Sidebar: Start Now, Even Before Airbnb Gets Here
As of this writing, the new service is not yet available in the Caribbean. Airbnb might be expanding, but you don’t have to wait to start growing your business and building visibility. Here’s how to lay the groundwork today:
- Claim Your Digital Space – Have a simple website or landing page with your service details, pricing, and a way to book you directly. Use free tools like WordPress, Notion, or even a pinned Instagram post to start.
- Collect and Share Reviews – Ask past clients to write you a quick review or give a video testimonial. Share these on your socials and website. Social proof builds trust.
- Post Consistently – Show your work. Document the behind-the-scenes moments, the final results, and even the stories that make your service unique. Use platforms where your ideal clients are already hanging out on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, or WhatsApp.
- Make It Easy to Book – Link to your calendar, phone number, or a simple contact form. If people have to dig too much, they’ll move on.
- Get Paid Directly – Not everyone wants to (or can) use a platform that takes a cut. Have a way for people to pay you directly, through PayPal, Stripe, WiPay, or bank transfer, and be clear about your terms and conditions.
Building your own visibility now means you’ll already have an audience when Airbnb catches up. It also means you stay in control and keep more of your earnings.
Redefining Hospitality, One Booking at a Time
This isn’t about chasing trends. It’s about claiming space in a new marketplace using the tools that exist. Airbnb’s expansion allows locals to turn knowledge into income, preserve traditions, and reimagine what it means to welcome visitors.
Conclusion
Hospitality is more than where you sleep. It’s who welcomes you, what they share, and how you feel when you leave. By showing up on platforms like Airbnb as cultural custodians and creators, we can turn what we’ve always done into what the world is looking for. And we get paid for it.
Need more inspiration? Read 25 Ways to Thrive as a Creative Entrepreneur and Start. Grow. Thrive: Build a Business to Last
