Abergavenny Food Festival has won substantial funding from one of the biggest accommodation platforms in the world in a bid to drive UK tourism.

Airbnb has ploughed £50,000 as a part of the company’s £1 million Best of British Fund, into the annual event which will return this September. It was established in 2007, when two hosts welcomed three guests to their home in San Fransisco, USA, and has since gone on to welcome over five million hosts around the world in destinations including Abergavenny.

The Abergavenny Food Festival is one of just 25 winners selected from thousands of applications in the Food and Dining Category, and the grant will help to transform the project in line with other visitor experiences and local tourism.

“Being recognised by Airbnb is a huge vote of confidence in Abergavenny Food Festival and the community that has supported us for so many years,” said Nick Miller, who is a board member of the Abergavenny Food Festival.

“This funding will be crucial as we reinvigorate the festival, creating an even more vibrant event this summer. At the heart, this festival is about celebrating the best of Welsh food and hospitality - and this investment will help us do exactly that in a way that also strengthens local businesses and the community.”

The fund has been launched in partnership with Visit Britain to help fuel local hospitality and celebrate the traditions that make travelling in Wales, Scotland and England unforgettable.

In its first year, in 2025, the Best of British Fund was established with the ambition of supporting the UK’s hospitality sector, which has been especially struggling since the Covid-19 pandemic.

Over half of all UK job losses in the last twelve months were in the hospitality sector.

Abergavenny Food Festival is to be ‘reimagined’ with the £50,000 sum to create a more producer-focussed experience with local hospitality experts as well as a dedicated children’s cookery school.

Airbnb UK said that it recognised the company’s role in helping to support economies like Abergavenny, that leans on tourism, with local jobs and independent businesses through its own platform and collaborations like this one.

“From centuries-old festivals in market towns to hands-on food experiences in coastal villages, Britain is full of extraordinary local traditions waiting to be discovered,” said Like Impett, Partnerships and External Affairs Senior Manager at Airbnb UK.

“Through the Best of British Fund, we’re proud to back the communities who keep these traditions alive and help them grow their visitor offering in a sustainable way.”

“By attracting more guests, we can ensure tourism continues to support local jobs, independent businesses and the families at the heart of these destinations. This investment is about shining a spotlight on the people and places that make Britain unique — and helping more travellers experience that authenticity for themselves.”