Grey Cup 2018 was the busiest weekend ever for Airbnb rentals in Edmonton.
Two-thousand football fans from all over Canada—but mainly Calgary, Saskatoon, Regina, Winnipeg and even Edmonton—rented nearly 600 Airbnb homes in the Alberta capital for Grey Cup weekend.
The busy weekend was a 101 per cent increase compared to the same weekend in 2017.
Matt Masterson decided to become a host about a week before the final.
“We had five young individuals from Calgary that came up and had a great time and enjoyed and it obviously went their way.”
The Stampeders fans, whose team defeated the Ottawa Redblacks 27-16, booked their room Thursday and drove up Saturday.
Airbnb said Edmonton hosts made more than $180,000 combined.
Hotels, especially those downtown near the Grey Cup Festival and Commonwealth Stadium, also had a successful weekend.
“As soon as the Grey Cup was announced, we were pretty much sold out,” Courtyard Marriot General Manager Chris Short said. “In terms of room revenue, with the rates the Grey Cup brings in, we’re looking at another third or even half more of the revenue we would normally expect on a sold out weekend.
The city began to clean up the Grey Cup Festival area—Jasper Avenue between 96 and 99 Street—Monday. The roads will reopen Wednesday.
An Edmonton International Airport spokesperson said more than 10,000 people flew out of Edmonton Monday—with morning lineups as long, or maybe even longer, than in the days leading up to Christmas.
With files from Nahreman Issa
