HOSTS and guests using Airbnb boosted Stirling’s economy by £4million last year, according to those behind the platform.

The city came in ninth in a list of the top 15 destinations in Scotland to be featured.

Airbnb is a platform which allows people to offer or rent short-term leases and it operates across the world.

It says new data has revealed that hosts and guests using Airbnb generated £482.9 million of economic activity in 2017 for Scotland, with the average Stirling host earning £1,800.

The breakdown reveals that Scottish hosts have earned £113.4 million, with 1.4 million people using the Airbnb platform to visit Scotland.

And it’s not just homes that visitors can now share with locals, as Airbnb has announced that experiences will be available across the whole of Scotland, following a successful launch in Edinburgh with Visit Scotland earlier this year.

Airbnb Experiences allow people to share their interests, hobbies, and passions with visitors as bookable activities providing visitors with the opportunity to see the true character of the local area through the eyes of the people who live there.

From a food tour around the independent restaurants of Glasgow, to learning to photograph sunsets from an old hill fort above the Beauly Firth, guests can now share in the full experience of Scotland.

Natasha Mytton Mills, UK policy manager, said: “Scotland has long been one of the most vibrant and enticing countries for visitors from across the world, and we’re proud of the community of hosts who are helping to spread the benefits of guests to neighbourhoods across the country.

“This data shows that it’s not only the most enduringly popular tourist destinations that are thriving, but also that guests on Airbnb are keen to travel the less trodden path and meet real Scottish families.

“We hope with the expansion of experiences across Scotland that more people from all corners of the country will be able to connect with travellers from near and far.”