By Andy Marston, Sports Pundit
Fresh off the global relaunch of its Experiences platform, Airbnb has signed a three-year deal with the Tour de France and Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift as official partner through 2027.
The partnership will activate hundreds of curated Airbnb Experiences along the Tour route, from local food tours and heritage workshops to behind-the-scenes access with cycling legends like Thomas Voeckler and Stephanie Scheirlynck.
Airbnb Originals will feature one-off events, including a cycling masterclass and VIP final stage ride hosted by Mark Cavendish at Paris’ Grand Palais.
With 100,000+ listings along the route and 10 million roadside spectators, Airbnb is positioning itself as the go-to trip-planning platform for race fans.
The initiative supports rural tourism and grassroots communities, aligning with Airbnb’s strategy to drive economic value across France’s 29,000+ communes.
Why It Matters:
Experiences and hospitality have long been part of sports sponsorship, especially on the B2B side. But what stands out here is the flexibility shown by the Tour de France and its organiser, ASO, in co-creating inventory that aligns directly with Airbnb’s brand priorities rather than simply slotting the company into a pre-set package.
This isn’t about media value alone. It’s about designing bespoke activations that speak to Airbnb’s core value proposition: connecting people to local culture, travel, and community.
It’s a sign of maturity in rights-holder strategy: moving from fixed assets to fluid collaboration, where the platform and the sponsor work together to create shared value. In a noisy sponsorship landscape, that kind of integration is increasingly what separates meaningful partnerships from forgettable ones.
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