Airbnb

Airbnb targets India's Gen Z, millennials to drive growth: Co-founder

Online accommodation hosting platform Airbnb is tapping into the huge population of millennials and Gen Z in India to drive its growth, according to its Co-Founder and Chief Strategy Officer Nathan Blecharczyk. The company, which has introduced Airbnb Services and Airbnb Experiences along with an all-new app, is bullish that its experiences feature, which allows travellers to explore a city with local guides, will offer good growth opportunities in the Indian market, Blecharczyk told PTI. "India is an incredibly important market for Airbnb...to state the obvious, the largest (population-wise) country in the world, and largest population of young people, specifically millennials and Gen Z, that's the target audience for Airbnb," he said when asked how it is looking at the Indian market. These young people, who want to experience the world, have a spirit of adventure and love the opportunity to stay in a home and have a unique experience, and to be able to bring friends with them, ...

GenZ pushes hospitality firms to expand with unique travel experiences

Araiya Hotels, Hyatt and Airbnb are expanding in India as GenZ travellers seek authentic, spiritual, adventure and wellness experiences, driving demand for unique stays

We aim to go beyond the traditional landmarks list: Airbnb Global CFO Mertz

India is an exciting market not just from a demographic point of view, but also because the government wants to make tourism a much bigger portion of the economy, says Mertz

Women hosts make up 30% of Airbnb India, earned Rs 260 crore in 2024

Indian women hosts, almost 30 per cent of Airbnb hosts in the country, have earned Rs 260 crore in 2024, shaping the future of hospitality with inclusivity and economic opportunities. Women in India cumulatively earned approximately Rs 260 crore through hosting, with over 56 per cent receiving 5-star reviews from guests, Airbnb said in a statement. Almost 35 per cent of guest's favourite listings in India are hosted by women, showcasing their excellence in hospitality, it added. "Our data shows that women hosts are delivering exceptional hospitality while achieving financial independence, and women travellers are increasingly exploring the world with confidence. This International Women's Day, we recognise that we must collectively accelerate our efforts. "By empowering women hosts and travellers, we're committed to creating a more equitable future for the generations to come," Airbnb's Country Head for India and Southeast Asia Amanpreet Singh Bajaj said in a statement. Not just .

Google to tweak search results in Europe after rivals highlight low traffic

Under the EU Digital Markets Act (DMA), Google is prohibited from favouring its products and services on its platform

India is one of the fastest-growing emerging markets for Airbnb

Amanpreet Bajaj explained that the growth rate of some of the expansion markets, including India, is double that of the company's core market regions like the US, Canada, Australia, France, and the UK

Airbnb partners with Financial Crimes Investigators to combat travel scams

Airbnb has implemented several measures to safeguard its customers' information and bookings

Airbnb sees 30% bookings surge from Indian guests for Paris Olympics

Held once every four years, the hospitality major has observed that travellers from more than 160 countries have booked their stays for the duration of the Games

Janhvi Kapoor opens Chennai family home for Airbnb's 'Icons' experience

Nestled in lush greenery, the Kapoor family home in Chennai spans over four acres

India among fastest-growing mkts with potential to be in top 10: Airbnb CBO

India is one of the "fastest-growing markets" for online accommodation hosting platform Airbnb and the country has the potential to be among its top 10 global markets in the coming years, according to its Chief Business Officer Dave Stephenson. The company is investing in India to tap the opportunity of a rapid rise in tourists travelling to foreign destinations as well as domestic places that are rapidly growing post-pandemic and where 90 per cent of its first-time bookers are Gen Zs. "It (India) is one of our growth markets and we see a huge opportunity for growth in India in the future. In India, nights booked grew by almost 30 per cent YoY (Year-on-Year) in 2023 compared to 2022, which is a positive sign," Stephenson told PTI. For Airbnb, India is going to be "a large travel market", where it has seen a "strong desire" among the "Indian travellers to venture overseas as well as explore domestic destinations, especially those off the beaten path", he said. Though, Stephenson did

Want to stay in a Paris museum or balloon house? Airbnb plans to list them

Airbnb, an accommodation platform, is now offering its customers a chance to stay in unique places that are much more than just holiday rentals

Indian women earned over Rs 200 crore in 2023 through hosting on Airbnb

Indian women hosts collectively earned over Rs 200 crore through hosting on Airbnb in 2023, the online accommodation hosting platform said on Tuesday. In 2023, women Hosts in India, constituting nearly 30 per cent of the country's Airbnb hosting community, have been instrumental in creating unique guest experiences, the company said in a statement. "Indian women hosts collectively earned over Rs 200 crore (USD 28 million) in 2023, showcasing the profound impact of women in stimulating local economies and supporting community growth," it added. "Women play a vital role in fueling economies, by driving growth and social transformation. At Airbnb, we are committed to creating an inclusive, diverse, equitable community for our women hosts and guests," Airbnb India, Southeast Asia, Hong Kong and Taiwan General Manager Amanpreet Bajaj said. He further said, "By promoting safe, respectful, and welcoming spaces, Airbnb aims to empower women hosts and travellers alike, envisioning travel as

Airbnb donates $10 mn to 120 non-profits on 6 continents via community fund

Airbnb on Tuesday donated a total of USD 10 million to more than 120 non-profits in 44 countries on six continents, the short-term rental giant's latest outlays in its unusual distribution of USD 100 million through its Airbnb Community Fund. The grantees include Digify Africa, which helps young people join Africa's digital economy, the Japanese Service Dog Resource Centre, and the Atlanta Habitat for Humanity. All the groups receiving funds were selected, not by Airbnb or its employees, but by the hosts who rent out their properties on the platform. While many corporations are shifting more of their philanthropy decisions from corporate suite executives to employees by matching their donations, few have gone as far as Airbnb which has, at times, faced criticism for its effect on housing markets and tourist destinations in turning over control of funds to outside groups. Airbnb has a 21st century company view, said Janaye Ingram, Airbnb's director of community partner programs and

Airbnb, U'khand Tourism sign initial pact to enhance hospitality standards

Airbnb on Thursday said it has inked an agreement with the Uttarakhand Tourism Development Board (UTDB) to build host capacity in lesser-explored destinations. Under the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), Airbnb will undertake capacity building activities in the selected pilot locations to enhance local hospitality standards, the company said in a statement. This partnership will focus on onboarding homestays onto the Airbnb platform. "This partnership with Airbnb will further expand our efforts to promote homestay culture in our state. "Individuals in the tourism sector will receive training on responsible hosting which will unlock their potential to attract guests from India and abroad. Through this partnership, we're confident the travellers will be presented with enriching, immersive experiences," Uttarakhand Tourism Secretary and UTDB CEO Sachin Kurve said. Airbnb will conduct workshops in the identified pilot destinations to train 'model hosts', will conduct a thorough revie

Airbnb added Rs 7,200 crore to India GDP last year: Oxford Economics

The GDP contribution and jobs supported more than doubled compared to 2019 despite the Covid-19 outbreak and the related restrictions

Airbnb contributed over $920 million to India's economy in FY23: Research

A report based on research by Oxford Economics has claimed that Airbnb contributed over USD 920 million to India's GDP and supported over 85,000 jobs in the country between April 2022 and March 2023. The report compares the findings for FY23 in terms of GDP contribution and jobs supported in India during the period between April 2019 and March 2020. The findings were not released for two fiscal years. According to the report, Airbnb guests spent a total of USD 815 million in India during FY23, more than double of the FY20 levels. In India, Airbnb's presence was the highest in Goa, where Airbnb guests spending amounted to almost USD 190 million. This was followed by Bengaluru and Delhi, Mumbai and Manali, it stated. James Lambert, Director for Economic Consulting in Asia for Oxford Economics, said: "Domestic travellers have been crucial to the tourism sector's resilience over the past three years as Indian guests saw opportunities in domestic travel as a substitute for international

OpenAI's head of trust and safety Dave Willner quits. Here is why

After stints at Airbnb and Facebook, Willner took over his role at OpenAI in February last year

Airbnb, Ministry of Tourism tie up to promote heritage tourism in India

As part of the Visit India 2023 initiative, this agreement will include destination promotion, sharing travel and tourism insights, host recognition and capacity building

Airbnb inks pact with tourism ministry to promote heritage stays, culture

Online accommodation hosting platform Airbnb on Monday said it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Union Ministry of Tourism to showcase India's heritage stays and promote cultural tourism. The company will partner the ministry in its vision to promote inbound tourism as a part of its 'Visit India 2023' initiative and under the MoU, it will launch a dedicated 'Soul of India' microsite for the global audience showcasing India's rich culture and built heritage, Airbnb said in a regulatory filing. Additionally, Airbnb will also offer support to hosts in untapped tourist areas, assist them in promoting their homestays, build host capacity, and foster a culture of responsible hosting, it added. Under the MoU, Airbnb will endeavour to train hospitality micro-entrepreneurs in emerging destinations that are part of the ministry's flagship scheme, the company said, adding, it would also share travel and homestay insights with the ministry for informed responsible tourism

This Malaysian island has now banned Airbnb. And it isn't first to do so

Airbnb is facing ongoing conflict with new rules and regulations being implemented in cities across the world to regulate tourism. Penang becomes the first city in Asia to ban the platform entirely