TORONTO -- Looking to spend two months in the Bahamas? Airbnb is hoping to make that happen for those willing to participate in local eco-projects -- while also helping to lure tourists back to the island after a devastating hurricane.
The U.S.-based online platform is partnering with Bahamas National Trust -- a non-profit that runs the country鈥檚 national park service -- to , as part of the island鈥檚 tourism and natural resource restoration efforts.
People will 鈥渆mbed鈥� on the islands of Andros, Exuma, and Eleuthera -- three of the country鈥檚 nearly 700 others -- and dive into local cultures and be a part of ongoing environmental projects. These include helping to restore a coral reef, building traditional boats and helping to plant a bush tea farm.
But winners won鈥檛 just be scoring a free trip.
Organizers hope the attention from the 鈥淏ahamas Sabbatical鈥� will help lure more visitors back to the country, which depends on tourism to fund its rebuilding efforts in the wake of Hurricane Dorian. The deadly Category 5 hurricane that caused catastrophic damage in 2019 is regarded as one of the worst natural disasters in the Bahamas鈥� history.
鈥淭he Bahamas is open for business and while we work to restore parts of the archipelago devastated by Hurricane Dorian, the vast majority is ready for visitors,鈥� Eric Carey, executive director of the Bahamas National Trust, said in a press release.
He called the partnership with Airbnb an 鈥渋ncredible opportunity鈥� and a means to 鈥減reserve our culture and resources and share our diverse country and the Bahamian way of life with the world.鈥�
The 鈥淏ahamas Sabbatical鈥� is endorsed by the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism.
From April to May, the five winners would be volunteering for the Bahamas National Trust, which acts as the caretaker of 32 national parks.
The group, created in 1959, also helps maintain the upkeep and conservation of the island鈥檚 forests, coral reefs and seashores, which also helps bolster the tourism and fishing industries.
'Bahamas Sabbatical' follows similar trips to Italy, Antarctica
During the participants鈥� time in the Bahamas, they'll be working alongside an underwater photographer to help restore coral reefs, and also learning about invasive species and traditional pineapple farming, among other things. Destinations include the Leon Levy Native Plant Reserve, North Marine Park, and Eleuthera鈥檚 pink sand beaches.
The project鈥檚 overall goal is to stimulate the country鈥檚 economy by showcasing these and Airbnb鈥檚 other 鈥�,鈥� which are activities people can book through Airbnb on the island. The platform says these trips directly benefit the local community.
This type of weeks-long immersive trip is the third Airbnb has rolled out, after trips to Italy and Antarctica. The Bahamas trip is the first so-called sabbatical to launch in 2020.
The contest is open to residents (aged 18 years or older) from nearly three dozen countries including Canada, Mexico, Thailand, Germany and the United States.
All five winners will be announced on March 25, 2020.
