IT has been said over and over again that work and travel have fundamentally changed. It’s not new. But what’s interesting is how the line between work and travel — activities that once stood on opposite ends of the spectrum — continues to blur. People work in hotel rooms. More and more travelers are choosing to stay in houses rather than resorts. Tourists choose non-touristy and sustainable destinations. And many of us are happy to be on vacation while working, or is it the opposite of working on vacation?
Airbnb (with YouGov) recently commissioned a report to understand the depth of these changes and quantify them. Needless to say, their findings are quite illuminating.
Yes, work and travel have fundamentally changed…but we may have underestimated just how much. The dispersal of post-pandemic travel across much of Asia-Pacific has not only created a paradigm shift in the traveler, but it has also created gaps in the travel industry that are being filled by local communities.
Here are some of the most interesting findings from Airbnb’s “APAC Tourism Dispersal Report.”
Post-pandemic travelers are showing an increased appetite for scenic and rural destinations. This could be the result of “working from home” over the past two years, or simply a desire to discover hidden gems off the beaten path.
For example, South Korea saw a significant 180% increase in non-urban overnight stays booked in the second quarter of 2022 compared to the second quarter of 2019 before the pandemic. Non-urban reservations were also successful in India (+140%) and Australia (+60%).
Airbnb internal data also shows considerable growth in searches for destinations outside major cities in Q2 2022, compared to Q2 2019. Some examples include Haldwani, India (330%), Nasushiobara, Japan (200%) , Levin, New Zealand (130%), Siquijor, Philippines (280%) and Yeongdeok-gun, South Korea (580%). Searches for Mount Field, Australia and Marang, Malaysia doubled during this period.
The desire of more travelers to venture further from urban areas has created a strong demand for accommodation in previously untapped areas. Local communities have recognized this gap in the market and have started to take advantage of the travel revolution in a big way.
According to Airbnb, hosts in a number of non-urban areas (Asia-Pacific) earned more in the second quarter of 2022 than in the second quarter of 2019.
For example, host revenue in Australia and South Korea more than doubled, while revenue in India increased by 40%. New Zealand saw a 60% increase, while Malaysia’s stats rose by around a third.
The desire of more travelers to venture further from urban areas has created a strong demand for accommodation in previously untapped areas.
Remote working or “Work From Anywhere” has allowed travelers to book longer stays abroad – sometimes up to almost a month. Long-stay bookings in areas outside of major cities have increased significantly across the Asia-Pacific region when comparing statistics from the second quarter of 2022 with the second quarter of 2019.
Some of the areas of significant interest are:
Geelong, Banora Point, Mandurah and Bundaberg in Australia
Arambol, Naggar, Kullu, Agonda and Almora in India
Dapa, Panglao, Dumaguete and Silang in the Philippines
Niseko, Nago and Otaru in Japan
Kang-neung, Jeju-si and Suncheon in South Korea
Ipoh, Kuah, Semenyih and Port Dickson in Malaysia
Kerikeri, Wanaka, Tauranga and Napier in New Zealand
Koh Pha Ngan, Koh Lantra and Krabi in Thailand
Research and analysis commissioned by Airbnb by Economist Impact, which included a survey of more than 4,500 participants in nine countries in the Asia-Pacific region, found that more than two-thirds of people say it is important to create a positive impact for residents.
58% of respondents said it was important that they did not contribute to overtourism.
Most notably, more than 60% of people are aware that certain communities need an economic recovery and will factor this into where and how they travel next. This is consistent with nearly two-thirds of participants reporting using travel as a way to meaningfully connect with the communities and culture of their destination.
Overall, the change in the way we work has caused travelers, locals and the travel industry to rethink and rethink the way they operate. Hopefully this trend of conscious tourism and community-oriented travel will progress in the future, with more people engaging in sustainable practices to protect the places and people they choose to visit.
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