AIRBNB has published figures showing that its community of users generated £361 million of economic activity in Scotland last year.

This includes an estimated £293m of guest spending and £68m earned by hosts.

The report includes all travel to and from Scotland between March 1 2016 to March 1 2017.

Airbnb, which provides an online marketplace for homeowners to rent rooms or entire properties to tourists, said more than 800,000 visitors to Scotland last year used its service.

A total of 41 percent of hosts said they use the income from sharing space in their home to help make ends meet.

Stays in Scotland were driven by the Edinburgh Fringe festival, which welcomed almost nine per cent of all Airbnb deals, with 70,000 tourists helping the city accommodate increased demand during August.

The study also found that 30 per cent of guests would not have visited Scotland or stayed as long without access to Airbnb accommodation.

The data shows that a typical host in Scotland earned £3,600 by sharing their home for 40 nights a year.

The data comes as tourism organisers from around the country gather in Glasgow today to celebrate Scottish Tourism Week.

Ahead of the national tourism conference, Natasha Mytton Mills, public policy manager for Airbnb, said: “The Airbnb community boosts the economy in Scotland by almost £1 million a day and transforms how guests experience this great country.

“Guests are increasingly looking for authentic travel experiences in Scotland and we are proud to see hosts on Airbnb help grow and diversify tourism while spreading benefits to more families, communities and local businesses.”