As the holidays come closer and the travel rebound continues to unfold, more Filipino travelers are embracing flexible travel while more homeowners turn to hosting on Airbnb for additional income. A new survey commissioned by Airbnb* reveals that more than half of Filipinos polled expressed interest in becoming Airbnb Hosts to take advantage of the new appetite for travel.
Around the world, Airbnb has seen strong growth rates of new Hosts, especially in countries with high inflation rates. Notably, 77 percent of Filipinos polled said they were looking for ways to offset rising costs of living. The survey also shows that desire for travel remains high, with more than a quarter of respondents saying they will continue to find ways to travel even if general costs of living rise.
In a trend that started during the pandemic, millions are now enjoying their newfound freedom to live and work anywhere. Notably, 65 percent of Filipinos polled said they are now more flexible in terms of their type of holidays and time of travel. Notably, of those who plan to travel within the next year, 1 in 4 Filipinos said they plan to travel without set dates.
This new approach to travel and living continues to shape the choice of accommodation among Filipino travelers. When asked about factors that influence when and how they travel:
- Almost half indicated they are likely to travel if they can find accommodation that makes longer stays easy and comfortable
- 35 percent pointed to destinations offering unique styles of accommodations
- 25 percent prioritized access to amenities that make it easy to combine remote work with travel such as a dedicated workspace and a fast, reliable internet connection
This growing appetite for travel among Filipinos puts homeowners in a unique position to take advantage of the Airbnb Setup, the all-new easy way to Airbnb one’s home that was announced early this month. In Q3, Pasay ranked as the number 1 trending domestic destination for Filipino guests on Airbnb, followed by El Nido, Cebu City, Paranaque and Iloilo City.**
Amanpreet Bajaj, Airbnb’s general manager for Southeast Asia, India, Hong Kong and Taiwan, said the fundamental shifts toward long-term stays and flexible travel point to the increasingly important role that short-term accommodations (STRA) like Airbnb play in the new era of travel.
“This growing appetite for travel is a positive sign as tourism recovery gathers pace. More keenly, this is an opportune moment for aspiring Filipino entrepreneurs to Airbnb their homes and earn additional income to mitigate rising living costs or support their travels,” he added.
* Online survey of 1,063 respondents in the Philippines commissioned by Airbnb and conducted by YouGov between October 6 and 12, 2022
** Based on increase in searches of destinations (minimum 1,000) in Q3 2021
