New Airbnb analysis shows tourism has dispersed over the past three years

As the travel revolution continues to unfold, the benefits of tourism are spreading further afield into regional Australia and New Zealand, and empowering locals to earn a living and make ends meet, new analysis by Airbnb reveals.

With people continuing embracing flexible new approaches to travel and living, communities that have traditionally missed out in the past are increasingly well-positioned to secure a bigger slice of the tourism pie, according to new Airbnb report Further afield: Spreading the benefits of the travel revolution.

That’s presenting fresh opportunities for locals looking for new ways to supplement their income as they grapple with rising costs of living.

Airbnb’s analysis found:

●  On Airbnb, non-urban nights booked, when comparing the second quarter of 2022 with the pre-pandemic second quarter of 2019, are up about 60 percent in Australia, and also saw increases in New Zealand.

●  Internal Airbnb data comparing Q2 2022 with Q2 2019, shows a number of destinations outside major cities have seen considerable growth in searches. In Australia, searches more than doubled for Mount Field, while New Zealand’s Levin recorded growth during this period of more than 130 percent.

●  The typical earnings for non-urban Hosts on Airbnb was more in the second quarter of 2022 than during the same period in 2019. Australian Hosts saw their earnings more than double, while Hosts in New Zealand saw an increase of about 60 percent.

●  On Airbnb, non-urban nights booked for long-term stays (28 days-plus) in Australia have more than doubled when comparing the second quarter of 2022 with the pre-pandemic second quarter of 2019.

● Destinations outside the major cities that proved popular on Airbnb for long-term stays within Australia in the second quarter of 2022 were: Geelong, VIC, Banora Point, NSW, Mandurah, WA, and Bundaberg, QLD. In New Zealand they were Kerikeri (Northland), Wanaka (Southland), Tauranga (Coromandel), and Napier (Hawke’s Bay).

Research and analysis by Economist Impact¹ in 2021, commissioned by Airbnb, showed that about half of respondents (45 percent) planned to travel more frequently to rural destinations that were not currently popular with tourists, while over two-thirds of Australians (69 percent) said they would be more likely to head to destinations that are not crowded.

More than two years since the start of the pandemic, we continue to see fundamental shifts in travel that are creating tangible opportunities for communities that lay off-the-beaten track. It’s incredibly exciting to see travellers so enthusiastic about exploring new destinations, as well as the positive economic impact that’s having on locals.

This ongoing dispersal of travel is empowering locals to diversify their income through hosting and build financial resilience in the face of rising costs of living. This is also something Airbnb has also been championing through the rollout of innovative new search tools such as Categories and I’m Flexible, which actively encourage travellers to explore further afield and uncover hidden gems.

We’re committed to continuing to work together with governments and other stakeholders to keep inspiring travellers to step off the beaten path and help ensure more communities can share in the benefits of tourism.

For example, Airbnb first formed a partnership with Australian Regional Tourism in 2020 to help farmers across the nation diversify their businesses by becoming farm stays and accommodating agritourism. The partnership involved a bespoke toolkit for farmers looking to earn extra income through hosting, and was later expanded to include funding for the development of a National Agritourism Sector Development Plan.

Susan Wheeldon, Airbnb Country Manager, Australia and New Zealand

Download the PDF version of this report.

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