How India emerged as one of Airbnb’s fastest-growing markets

India has emerged as one of Airbnb’s fastest-growing markets, with a rising demand for alternate accommodation options. Interestingly, the growth has been contributed by domestic travellers (by India guests) nights booked that grew by over 30 per cent in the first three quarters of 2024 versus the same period last year. Goa, Bengaluru, Delhi, Pune and Hyderabad are the most booked domestic destinations by India guests (based on bookings data for the first three quarters of 2024) for Airbnb. These observations were made by Amanpreet Singh Bajaj, Airbnb's country head for India and southeast Asia during an interaction with THE WEEK.

As per Bajaj, going by data, United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Italy and France are the most booked international destinations by India guests (based on bookings data for the first three quarters of 2024). “For inbound travel to India, Goa was the most booked destination by international guests (in the first three quarters of 2024), Bengaluru, Delhi, Hyderabad and Pune also ranked highly for international guests. At the same time, Millennials and GenZs are leading the chart for booking Airbnb stays in India (based on bookings data for the first three quarters of 2024). Gen Z travellers from India doubled their bookings in the first three quarters of 2024 compared to 2023, while millennial bookings surged by almost 30 per cent,” Bajaj told THE WEEK.

He added that the Airbnb platform also witnessed growth throughout 2024, with group travel (2 plus travellers) in India emerging as a key trend. Similarly, bookings for larger groups increased by more than 30 per cent as friends, colleagues, and interest-based communities prioritised shared experiences. Airbnb also witnessed a rise of trips around religious, cultural and entertainment events, like the Mahakumbh or concerts. Spiritual and cultural tourism is also on the rise, with cities such as Jaipur, Varanasi, and Vrindavan among the most booked destinations witnessed by Airbnb.

Another interesting fact as per Bajaj is that 30 per cent of Airbnb Hosts in India are women (self-identified), who collectively earned over Rs 2 billion (Rs 200 crore) in 2023, shaping the future of hospitality with inclusivity and economic opportunities. Bajaj also said that the work-from-anywhere trend fuels long-term stays. This year year, travel patterns around Valentine’s Day showed a notable shift with solo travel searches surging by over 185 per cent YoY for Airbnb. Dubai emerged as the top destination, registering an approximately 220 per cent increase in searches for the Valentine’s Day weekend, followed by domestic favourites like Mumbai, Delhi, and Goa, as well as international hotspot such as Bangkok.

Bajaj also informed that Airbnb has a strong presence in India beyond hosting, with a dedicated technology centre in Bengaluru (opened in 2022) that supports global product development and innovation. The company is also heavily focused on technology patterns and has AI-powered search and chatbots personalise bookings and enhance host-guest interactions. The platform also has co-host features that improve hosting quality by allowing multiple managers per listing and AI-powered analytics that help hosts optimise pricing and bookings.