Here's Why Airbnb Picked Atlanta For Its New Tech Hub

Airbnb, the global vacation rental giant, has announced plans to open a new tech hub in Atlanta.

The company selected the Peach State capital because of five key factors, including a city that prioritizes economic development, diversity, technical talent, creative culture and natural amenities for people to settle into a long-term home.

Airbnb selected Atlanta as the best city for the tech hub in late 2019, but the COVID-19 pandemic postponed plans. It’s moving forward again after travel has begun to bounce back, according to a press release from Airbnb on Thursday (February 18).

“Today, we are excited to share that we are opening a technical hub in the City of Atlanta, the first step in a broader commitment to a long-term presence in the area,” the company states. “This hub will be home to one of our product development teams, as well as a variety of others. We anticipate our Atlanta office will become the regional base for hundreds of technical and non-technical roles over time.”

Airbnb aims to establish a physical location in Atlanta later this year, and plans to donate any economic incentives offered to the company back to the city for community impact initiatives, according to the release.

The company also aims to continue to cultivate community partnerships that create opportunities for Georgians pursuing technology careers.

“Atlanta is the South’s shining star and our prosperity depends on cultivating a diverse company base that brings jobs and creates opportunities for our residents,” Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms said in the release. “We welcome Airbnb to Atlanta and look forward to working with them to build a pipeline of good quality jobs for our local workforce.”

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