Tuesday, February 04, 2020

Perhaps a sign of the times: Airbnb rentals generate more income for Vermonters than does maple syrup

Just over a decade after its launch, Airbnb now makes more money for Vermonters than maple syrup production, John Lippman reports for the Valley News in West Lebanon, N.H., and White River Junction, Vt. According to Airbnb's numbers, Vermont residents brought in $68.8 million in 2019 from renting out their homes through the popular app, up from $48.4 million in 2018.

Meanwhile, maple syrup brought Vermont $54.3 million in 2018, according to USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service. "Maple syrup production numbers increased 7 percent in Vermont in 2019, but the value of the crop has not been announced," Lippman reports. If the price of maple syrup hasn't gone up since 2018, a 7% production increase would mean a $58.1 million value.

"Call it a healthy sign in how digital technology is reshaping Vermont’s economy. Or call it another dispiriting example in how making a real product just doesn’t count as much anymore," Lippman writes. "Either way, I don’t see it as something to cheer about . . . Call me a sap, but I believe that Vermont maple syrup deserves some of the credit for Airbnb’s success in Vermont. Come for the foliage, stay for the nectar of the gods."

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