Data shows there were over 19,000 guest arrivals in areas across the country with Airbnb listings and no hotels, earning Airbnb hosts more than INR 40 million. The number of domestic nights booked in India doubled in 2022 compared with 2019.
Airbnb hosts and guests have emerged as key drivers of economic activity in areas not served by traditional accommodation across India. A new report shows there were over 19,000 guest arrivals in communities within India with Airbnbs and no hotels in 2022. This has generated almost INR 40 million in host earnings.
Based on a first-ever analysis of Airbnb and OpenStreetMapdata1 , the data demonstrates the value Airbnb listings bring to underserved communities, allowing new destinations to be explored by tourists keen to take the road less travelled.
The pandemic caused unprecedented disruption to global tourism, causing international visitor numbers to plummet by more than 70 percent2. On Airbnb, we saw a profound shift in travel habits away from international trips and city breaks towards domestic travel and extended rural stays.
Amanpreet Bajaj, General Manager for Airbnb India, Southeast Asia, Hong Kong and Taiwan, said: “This study demonstrates that without home-sharing, these economic opportunities for small communities and their businesses might be lost entirely. Guests have the ability to travel to many more places by using Airbnb, as compared to hotels that traditionally are located in
higher-traffic areas.”
How Airbnb Disperses Travel in India and the world
In 2022, guests stayed in over 100,000 different cities and towns globally3, and the top 10 most-visited destinations on Airbnb accounted for around 7 percent of all trips, compared to 10 percent in 20194.
The number of communities globally where guests stayed increased by over 25 percent in 2022 compared with five years ago, spreading tourism to new and different destinations5.
Since March 2020, more than 13,000 cities globally received their first booking on Airbnb6. In India, there were nearly 100 cities and towns with their first booking on Airbnb since March 20207.
Top Booked Indian Cities & Towns with Their First Airbnb Booking since March 2020
- Narmada, Gujarat
- Bidar, Karnataka
- Purnia, Bihar
The Importance of Domestic Tourism
Domestic tourism has proved to be resilient in times of crisis and an option of a more immediate and positive economic impact to local economies. A weekend trip to a near destination to home is not only easier to plan but also much more affordable. Airbnb has proven to be an option that can help develop this type of tourism by providing a more affordable option for accommodation, and by expanding the accommodation offerings in more and new destinations.
In India, the number of domestic nights booked doubled in 2022 compared with 20198.
Amanpreet Bajaj, General Manager, Airbnb India, Southeast Asia, Hong Kong and Taiwan continues: “Distributed travel offers sustainable and affordable alternatives that create a positive impact on the local economies and communities. Unlike traditional travel that concentrates tourism in specific areas, causing overcrowding, congestion and tensions, Airbnb is helping disperse guests, tourism income, and benefits to new and trending destinations, even those without hotels. We recognize the challenges posed by mass tourism trends and are committed to investing in solutions that not only help alleviate these challenges but also allow guests to explore new communities and create additional income opportunities for the locals.”
1 Information from OpenStreetMap which is © OpenStreetMap contributors and licensed under the Open Database License (ODbL)
2 Based on data from the World Tourism Organization
3 Based on nights booked in each unique city during 2022
4 Based on nights booked globally in 2019 versus 2022
5 Based on nights booked in unique cities in 2022 versus 2017
6 Based on number of unique cities globally where guests have stayed
7 Based on internal Airbnb data of first booking date from March 2020 to March 31, 2023.
8 Growth of nights booked by locals in their own country during 2022 vs. 2019.
