Family travellers using Airbnb soars by 90 percent, Airbnb hosts in India earn over Rs. 100 cr in 2022

HYDERABAD: Family travel on Airbnb in India grew by over 90 percent in 2022, compared to the pre-pandemic period of 2019. Compared to hotel rooms, the families preferred Airbnb because of the value and space they got through the platform.

Precisely, Airbnb says, a family gets an Airbnb accommodation with two bedrooms and two bathrooms for approximately the price of one hotel room in a major chain.

As detailed in a new report released by Airbnb, family travel is booming on Airbnb. Globally, family travel on the platform is up over 60 percent in 2022 compared to the pre-pandemic period in 2019, with over 15 million check-ins in nearly 90,000 destinations.

At least one-quarter of the total Airbnb listings have three bedrooms or more. More than one million listings have cribs for small children and nearly 90 percent of Airbnb listings have kitchens.

Interestingly, more than five million pets travelled on Airbnb listings in 2022.

What were the preferred destinations for family travel in India? They included Goa, Bengaluru, Pune, Hyderabad, Dehradun, Jaipur, Raigarh in Maharashtra; Ernakulam, Kerala; New Delhi; and Nainital in Uttarakhand

According to internal Airbnb data, a family travel is defined as a check-in with at least one child, between January 1 and December 31, 2022.

Globally, Indians have been travelling to London, Toronto and Dubai for a family getaway.

Airbnb, in its release says, the highest booked categories for family travel last year in India included those near national parks, tropical area, pools, near beaches and lake houses.

As the cost of living continues to rise, the popularity of family travel creates meaningful earning opportunities for those considering hosting on Airbnb. In fact, in India, Airbnb hosts collectively made over Rs.100 crores from bookings with families last year.

"As families increasingly prioritize spending quality time together and seeking out meaningful travel experiences that foster cultural exchange, purposeful trips are gaining popularity among Indian travellers. Families are spending more on domestic as well as international travel and are more willing to support local communities and small businesses. We are glad to see the multiplier effect Airbnb delivers on the local communities as it creates meaningful earning opportunities for those considering hosting on the platform." said Amanpreet Bajaj, Airbnb’s General Manager for India, Southeast Asia, Hong Kong and Taiwan.

“At Airbnb, we’ve made it easier than ever before to become an Airbnb Host. Last year, during the 2022 Winter Release, we launched Airbnb Setup, which provides new Hosts with the options to match for free with a Superhost for one-to-one guidance, host an experienced guest as your first guest, and receive one-tap access to a specially trained team of Community Support agents. Since November, twice as many prospective Hosts are matching with Superhosts on the platform in India,” he said.