Airbnb India created 1.1 lakh jobs, Rs 2,400 cr wages

CHENNAI: Global home-sharing platform Airbnb on Monday said it supported around 1.11 lakh jobs across India in 2024, contributing approximately Rs 2,400 crore in wages, underscoring its growing role in the country’s tourism and hospitality economy.

According to the Economic Impact of Airbnb in India (May 2025) report, in 2024, Airbnb guest spending in India reached Rs 11,200 crore, which includes both accommodation and non-accommodation expenses.

The report, by Oxford Economics and commissioned by Airbnb, was based on data on the global home-sharing platform for the calendar year of 2024.

Further, the report revealed that in 2024, domestic travellers comprised around 91 per cent of Airbnb guests in India, a rise from about 79 per cent in 2019, fuelled by a surge in domestic travel, corresponding to stronger demand from younger Indian Airbnb guests, and positioned India as one of Airbnb’s fastest growing markets.

Among international guests, the most significant inbound sources were the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada and Australia, the report said.

Guests stayed an average of two nights in India and spent Rs 11,000 daily on non-accommodation essentials - like dining, retail stores and transport.

Of every Rs 10,000 spent in-destination, Rs 3,800 was spent on restaurants, Rs 2,400 on transport, Rs 2,100 on shopping, Rs 900 on arts and entertainment, and Rs 800 on groceries.

Host earnings can also fuel local economies: income from hosting supports property upkeep, domestic services, and personal consumption, all helping to sustain local businesses and trades.

Airbnb’s footprint accounted for 0.5 per cent of India’s travel and tourism GDP in 2024, and supported 0.2 per cent of tourism-related employment - equivalent to one in every 417 tourism-related jobs. Beyond front-line tourism sectors, Airbnb-generated activity injected significant value into the wider economy: contributing Rs 31 billion in transport and storage, Rs15 billion in agriculture, Rs 13 billion in real estate and Rs 12 billion in manufacturing.

Airbnb-supported tourism helped support approximately 38,000 jobs in transport and storage, 19,600 in food and beverage services, 16,800 in wholesale and retail trade, and 10,700 in manufacturing. These roles translated into tangible wage benefits, with Airbnb activity contributing around Rs 8.1 billion in transport and storage wages, Rs 2.9 billion in manufacturing wages, and Rs 2.6 billion in real estate sector wages - highlighting a broad and meaningful economic uplift across communities.

Tourism in India is increasingly spreading beyond major cities. While the non-urban share of gross booking value (GBV) was 16.0 per cent in 2024, the total non-urban GBV tripled since 2019, demonstrating growing traveller interest in rural and lesser-known destinations, outside of India’s major cities.