Airbnb witnesses surge in demand for offbeat destinations in India

Travellers' enthusiasm continued to grow after the Covid pandemic as there was about 140% growth seen in non-urban night bookings on Airbnb during the second quarter of this calendar year

Travellers' enthusiasm continued to grow after the Covid pandemic as there was about 140 per cent growth seen in non-urban night bookings on Airbnb during the second quarter of this calendar year.

In India, the non-urban nights booked have increased by about 140 per cent when compared to the second quarter of 2022 (April-June) with the pre-pandemic second quarter of 2019, while non-urban long-term stays booked in India more than doubled, according to Airbnb internal data.

According to the data, the number of destinations outside major cities have seen considerable growth in searches.

Haldwani in Uttarakhand recorded a growth of about 330 per cent during the period under review, while Jibhi in Himachal Pradesh witnessed more than 270 per cent growth followed by Bir in Himachal Pradesh (more than 240 per cent growth) and Varkala in Kerala (more than 240 per cent growth), it added.

On Airbnb, non-urban nights booked for long-term stays (over 28 days) more than doubled during the second quarter of 2022 as compared with the pre-pandemic second quarter of 2019.

"More than two years since the start of the pandemic, we continue to see fundamental shifts in travel that are creating tangible opportunities for communities that lay off-the-beaten track. It's incredibly exciting to see travellers' enthusiasm for exploring new destinations, as well as the positive economic impact they are creating on the local communities," Airbnb's General Manager for India, Southeast Airbnb, Hong Kong and Taiwan, Amanpreet Bajaj said.

This ongoing dispersal of travel is empowering locals to diversify their income through hosting on Airbnb and building financial resilience, he added.