Residents of Hull are being asked to throw open their doors and welcome people from around the world for the City of Culture 2017 event. Event planners expect hundreds of thousands of visitors to Hull, which far outstrips hotel capacity.

Hull 2017, along with Visit Hull and East Yorkshire, has launched the Homestay challenge with celebrity interior designer Linda Barker. Participants can earn a little money by welcoming strangers into their homes.

Hull UK City of Culture 2017 director Martin Green told BT that every resident of the city is the face of Hull 2017, so he’d like them to embrace the "everyone back to ours" spirit by opening their doors. "After all, what better way is there to learn about a culture than to dive in at the deep end and live with its people, who can offer an authentic home from home experience?"

Anybody who accepts the Homestay challenge will be able to sign up for training offered by Visit Hull and East Yorkshire to hospitality and tourism professionals.

According to Airbnb, listings in Hull have increased by 227% in the past 12 months, with the average host earning £127/week. [BT]