Exploring the Real Bermuda With a Local Airbnb Host

For an island as lovely as Bermuda, it can be a tough nut to crack for visitors; it’s expensive, getting around is tricky — rental cars aren’t typically available — and a lot of hotels don’t offer direct access to beaches. The trick, as is often the case with international travel, is to see the sights with a local who can unlock the secrets to a deeper, more authentic experience than tourists typically enjoy.

This season, Airbnb and the Bermuda Tourism Authority launched Airbnb Experiences for the country, offering visitors an array of immersive experiences all hosted by locals looking to share their passions and interests with people from all over the world.

“Airbnb Experiences are designed to allow people to immerse themselves in local communities and participate in activities led by local experts, all while encouraging cross-cultural connections between guests and locals.” said Carlos Munoz, campaign manager, public policy and communications for the Caribbean and Central America, Airbnb. “As a people-powered platform, we are pleased to expand our footprint in Bermuda to now include one-of-a-kind bookable experiences in addition to the hundreds of unique homes to stay in throughout the island.”

So far, there are more than 15 Bermuda Experiences, with more coming online this spring. They are being marketed internationally via the company’s website, social media and email channels.

The way it works is locals apply to become hosts, showing visitors around the island and providing interactive cultural excursions, which in turns helps the economy.

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Tobacco Bay, St. George’s, Bermuda. Photo: Picturemakersllc | Dreamstime.com

The idea is to offer families an insider-like experience while also letting them benefit from whatever special interest or experience the host might have. For example, let a foodie take you on a mile-long food tour through Hamilton, where you’ll soon realize the only staple isn’t conch chowder and rum drinks. The itinerary also takes you past some of the city’s most historic sites en route.

Or up your Instagram game by joining a photography tour, led by an expert who can offer tips on how to improve your picture-taking skills as you stroll through the Bermuda Botanical Gardens in Paget.

“Tapping the vast creative and entrepreneurial potential of Bermudians is a major plank of our National Tourism Plan. Airbnb Experiences effectively delivers on that strategy,” said Pat Phillip-Fairn, chief product and experiences development officer, Bermuda Tourism Authority. “We are very proud of the passionate locals putting Bermuda’s legendary hospitality on display for the world and we encourage others to step forward with their ideas.”

Best of all, the network is growing, and Airbnb welcomes applications from would-be hosts, regardless of whether they are already Airbnb hosts.