Airbnb pillows booming
Airbnb expects its China business to triple year on year the in the second half of 2018, thanks to booming cross-border trips and family tourists requiring the kitchen and washing machine facilities offered by Airbnb hosts.
Airbnb, which allows locals to open their homes to visitors via online accommodation listings, will have triple guest arrival volume in China in the second half.
The most popular domestic destinations are Shanghai, Chengdu, Beijing, Guangzhou and Chongqing.Other cities, such as Shenzhen, Xiamen, Changsha and Guiyang, are also seeing numbers rising.
By 2030, China will be the world's biggest outbound and inbound market, with 400 million travellers compared with 123 million in 2017, said Peng Tao, newly-appointed Airbnb China president.
In the coming Spring Festival holiday, Chinese tourists are expected to visit 618 cities in 88 countries and regions, with the top destinations Japan, Thailand and the United States.
Compared with traditional hotels, Airbnb aims to “redefine the hospitality industry” by offering tourists design and “amenities”, referring to facilities from elevator, washer to kitchen.
The washer and kitchen are needed by Chinese tourists, especially family travelers with kids, said Peng.
Meanwhile, Airbnb attracts users by offering unique stay experiences like specially-designed houses in local “Hutong” in Beijing and “Longtang” in Shanghai.
Shuhei Aoyama, a Japanese designer, joined Airbnb to become a host of a Beijing house.
“I would like to combine Japanese culture, architecture design and my understanding of Hutong, through being an Airbnb host,” Aoyama said in Shanghai today.
To speed up expansion in China, Airbnb recently implemented WeChat payment.
Peng Tao (left), Airbnb China president, said Airbnb business tripled in China in the second half.
