Airbnb has played a significant role in boosting India’s travel and tourism sector amidst the challenges posed by the pandemic, according to a recent study by Oxford Economics. In 2022, Airbnb contributed over $920 million to the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) and supported more than 85,000 jobs, according to the report.
The report covers the twelve months leading to March 2023, representing a year since travel restrictions began to ease across India.
In 2022, Airbnb guests spent $815 million in India, with significant increases seen in areas like transportation, restaurants and retail stores; doubling the expenditure levels observed in 2019.
Goa emerged as the hotspot for Airbnb activity, with guests spending nearly $190 million; followed by Bengaluru, Delhi, Mumbai and Manali.
According to the study, the post-pandemic revival in the sector was led by domestic travellers, who contributed $670 million to the total Airbnb guest spend in the country in 2022, marking a three-fold increase since 2019.
“The economic benefits are being shared across more destinations, enabling a valuable economic contribution to rural and regional areas,” said Amanpreet Bajaj, Airbnb’s general manager for India, Southeast Asia, Hong Kong and Taiwan.