Airbnb hosts could make up to $255K from PGA Tour event at Bethpage Black

Home-sharing giant Airbnb, no stranger to touting the economic potential of its hosts on Long Island, noted last week that those in Nassau County could stand to take in about $245,000 during the PGA Championship that will run through May 19 at the Bethpage Black golf course in Farmingdale, Newsday reported. Airbnb’s estimate is more than double the $117,000 that hosts pulled in during the same period last year. As of last week, about 1,100 people have booked places to stay in Nassau via Airbnb, a 41 percent increase from the 780 who did so at the same time last year, when Bethpage Black was not hosting such a high-profile tournament. (Newsday recently reported that Tiger Woods, riding high from his recent comeback, had docked his yacht in Oyster Bay ahead of the PGA event starting on May 16.) Large events like the PGA and U.S. Open Championship at the Shinnecock Hills Golf Club in Southampton generate a significant number of Airbnb bookings since desirable hotel rooms are scant. In 2018, Long Islanders hosted 140,000 Airbnb guests, earning about $47 million. Suffolk County itself had 114,200 guests, earning its hosts $42.1 million, while Nassau had 25,000 guests who generated $5.3 million in income. The Real Deal reported last month on Airbnb’s unique partnership with Uniondale-based RXR Realty to provide apartment-style hospitality space in commercial buildings. [Newsday]