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.”