BANGKOK, 24 March 2023: As travel continues to recover post-pandemic, nights booked in Thailand on Airbnb more than doubled last year from 2020*, with international travel leading the way and Bangkok emerging as a top destination of choice for global travellers on Airbnb.
The popular capital city emerged as the top trending destination globally for Airbnb guests in Q3 last year and fifth on Airbnb’s list of top trending global travel spots in 2023**.
This comes as Thailand recently forecasted that 25 to 30 million travellers would visit this year – a strong indication of tourism recovery in the country, up from 11 million international visitors last year.
Bangkok was the top most-booked Thai destination on Airbnb in 2022, closely followed by Phuket, Pattaya, Chiang Mai and Koh Samui. Driving this strong momentum are travellers from the US, which ranks as the top country of origin for Airbnb guests visiting Thailand in 2022. Other top countries and regions of origin were the United Kingdom, Europe, and Asia Pacific, including South Korea, Australia, and China*.
China guests are driving inbound travel
The resurgence in China outbound travel from Q4 last year has been instrumental to the rebound in international travellers in Thailand and continues to be a bright spot for the country this year. Within 24 hours of the government’s announcement on 26 December 2022 to lift inbound quarantine requirements, Thailand ranked as the top most searched outbound destination amongst guests from China on Airbnb.***
Group travel is on the rise
As more people travel to reconnect with loved ones, group travel in Thailand on Airbnb surged over 300% year-on-year in 2022*. This comes as family travel on the global platform increased by 60% in 2022 compared to pre-pandemic, with more families booking Airbnb stays for their value and space. Nearly 90% of Airbnb stays have kitchens; one-quarter have three bedrooms or more, and more than a million have cribs for small children.****
Travellers are staying for longer
Airbnb also attracts guests who stay longer as more global travellers enjoy greater flexibility in work and travel. In 2022 the average stay on the platform in Thailand was approximately five nights, and long-term stays of over 28 days more than tripled year-over-year*.
The K-wave is leading the way for Thai travel overseas
While domestic travel remains popular, Thais’ appetite for outbound travel has returned, with more looking to explore popular hotspots. Thais’ top five overseas destinations on Airbnb in 2022 were South Korea, the US, the UK, France and Japan, with their most booked cities being Seoul, London, Paris, Melbourne and New York*.
This Songkran, let the travel adventures begin
After years of muted celebrations during the pandemic, Songkran travel is back in full swing, with Airbnb guest searches for the festive period clocking a more than 310% year-on-year increase. Bangkok is the most-searched destination amongst international guests for this period, followed by Pattaya, Chiang Mai, Krabi and Phuket. Thai travellers are looking to resort destinations, with Pattaya ranking top in guest searches for Airbnb stays*****.
Notably, Australia ranks the top country of origin for international guests this Thai New Year, followed by the United States, United Kingdom, Germany and France. Closer to home, the top origins of international guests include Singapore, South Korea, China and Malaysia. Notably, over 20% of China guest searches for Thailand stays for spring travel this year were for the Songkran period.******
“With Songkran just around the corner, we are delighted to see the significant resurgence in international travel to Thailand on Airbnb. The growing excitement amongst global travellers to experience the country’s scenic natural landscapes, rich cultural heritage, delicious local cuisine and world-class Thai hospitality is extremely encouraging and signals strong tourism recovery. In line with our efforts to promote inclusive and responsible tourism in the country, we remain committed to working closely with the government and relevant stakeholders to accelerate travel recovery and futureproof the tourism industry in Thailand,” said Airbnb’s general manager for Southeast Asia, India, Hong Kong and Taiwan, Amanpreet Bajaj.
Notes:
*Based on internal Airbnb data for 2022.
**Based on searches made in Q1-Q3 2022 for check-ins in 2022 vs the same period in 2021.
***Based on China guest searches on Airbnb, made on 27 December 2022 (one day after the government announced the planned lifting of inbound quarantine requirements).
****According to internal Airbnb data looking at family travel, defined as a check-in with at least one child between 1 January and 31 December 2022.
*****Based on 2022 guest searches made for check-ins in Thailand from 13-15 April 2023 vs the same period in 2022.
******Based on China users’ search data in Q4 2022 for Airbnb stays in Thailand during April-May spring travel.
About Airbnb
Airbnb was born in 2007 when two Hosts welcomed three guests to their San Francisco home and has since grown to over 4 million Hosts who have welcomed 1.4 billion guest arrivals in almost every country globally. Every day, Hosts offer unique stays and experiences that make it possible for guests to connect with communities more authentically.
