Almost 35 percent of Hosts surveyed in Thailand said one of the reasons they host is to earn money to help cover the rising cost of living.
Bangkok, Thailand – Airbnb is releasing the first results from its latest survey* of Hosts and guests around the world. The findings from Hosts surveyed in Thailand, who used the platform last year, provide insights into how Hosts are using their income from Airbnb in a time of soaring inflation, emerging as key contributors to the local economy, and building strong people connections.
Mitigating Rising Costs with Hosting
As external forces pushed inflation higher around the world last year, income earned through hosting became an essential part of navigating higher prices for hosts in Thailand. In response to a question about why they host their space on Airbnb:
- Almost 35 percent of Hosts surveyed in Thailand said one of the reasons they host is to earn money to help cover the rising cost of living.
- Nearly a third said they host to earn money to make ends meet.
- Over half said they host to earn extra spending money.
- Almost half said they host to earn money to grow their business.
According to the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO), the Food Price Index steadily increased last year, up to an all-time high in March 2022. Against the backdrop of higher prices for everyday goods, nearly 45 percent of Thai Hosts surveyed said they use the income earned through hosting to buy food and other necessities that have become more expensive. In Thailand, a majority of Hosts surveyed stated that they use the money earned through hosting to improve their homes.
Hosts surveyed also indicated that they expect that income earned through hosting will become more important, with over 45% percent saying they expect to become more reliant on Host income in the next 12 months.
Hosts are key contributors to their local communities.
In addition to stays revenues from guests and guests’ local spend, Thai Hosts surveyed are also contributing to Thailand’s tourism income:
- Almost two thirds of those surveyed say that they hire support staff such as professional cleaners.
- Hosts also like to share recommendations with guests about restaurants and cafes (85 percent), outdoor sites and activities (two thirds), lesser-known areas and places to visit (60 percent), and shops and boutiques (almost half), amongst others.
- In fact, more than three quarters of Thai Hosts surveyed recommended places to visit in and around their Airbnb neighbourhood to guests.
People to People Connection – Hosting to meet people from different cultures
Almost 35 percent of Hosts surveyed in Thailand are hosting on Airbnb to meet people from around the world. Almost one third of the Hosts surveyed want to connect with people from different countries to know about their culture and share more about Thai culture with them.
*Based on a survey of 87,070 Airbnb listings booked between June 1, 2021 and Dec. 31, 2021. All additional Host-centric survey data in this report originates from this survey.
TravelDailyNews Asia-Pacific editorial team has an experience of over 35 years in B2B travel journalism as well as in tourism & hospitality marketing and communications.
