RIO DE JANEIRO, July 26 ― The latest booking stats released by Airbnb show that of the 55,000 travellers who've booked a short-term vacation rental during the Rio Olympic games, nearly half are Brazilian. That marks a stark contrast to the World Cup in 2014, when only six per cent of bookings were domestic and the balance made up of international visitors.

The new stats, which were released out of Sao Paulo yesterday, add to other reports suggesting that fears over Zika, security and political instability are keeping more visitors at home this year, compared to other summer Olympic games in the past.

While the 55,000 travellers who have booked a room with Airbnb represent 110 countries, 49 per cent of the reservations so far have been made by Brazilians. After Brazil, the US, Argentina, the UK and France are sending the biggest numbers of supporters to this summer's Olympics.

With just under two weeks to go, about a quarter of tickets have yet to be sold.

The most popular neighbourhoods booked on Airbnb include Copacabana, followed by Ipanema, Barra da Tijuca, Leblon and Botafogo.

The average stay is six nights, and the average rate paid about US$165 a night (RM674).

Interestingly, 60 per cent of travellers who booked a room during the Rio Olympics said it was their first time using the short-term vacation rental site, while 62 per cent of hosts also said it was the first time they opened up their homes.

With 35,000 listings in total, Rio is Airbnb's fourth biggest city market after New York, London and Paris. ― AFP-Relaxnews