What’s Driving Airbnb Experiences One Year Later? Foodies, Millennials & Solo Travelers

One year ago we announced Trips, our vision of bringing together where you go, what you do, and who you meet into one people-powered platform. As part of that, we’ve expanded Experiences – local activities crafted and led by local people – to more than 40 cities across 26 countries, and to every continent except Antarctica. Between January 2017 and today, total weekly Experience guests have increased 20x, and are continuing to grow steadily. October was our strongest month yet for Experiences bookings, and with many more destinations to come in 2018, this momentum is poised to grow even more.

We’re also learning more about not only where people love to go, but what they love to do most while they travel.

• To date, there are 3100+ active Experiences on the platform across 40+ cities, 26 countries and six continents
• Total weekly Experience guests have grown by 20x since January 2017, with guests paying an average of $55 per booking
• Millennials and foodies are leading the charge, with 29% of Experience bookings in the food & drink category, and two-thirds of total guests age 35 or younger

Newer Experiences Cities are Gaining

Barcelona is still our most popular market for Experiences, followed by Los Angeles, Paris, Tokyo and San Francisco. But newer Experiences markets like Lisbon, Seattle and Toronto are gaining quickly. New York City, having just launched in all five boroughs in September, is already the 6th most popular market overall. Newer and well-established markets alike are reflected in some of our most-booked Experiences in the last month, which include everything from a gastronomic tour of Lisbon to a graffiti art workshop in Harlem.

Our  Most Popular Experiences
Based on bookings in the last 30 days, excluding Experiences that launched during that time

Our Fastest-Growing Experiences Cities
Based on bookings in the last 90 days, excluding cities that launched during that time

New York City
Sydney
Mexico City
Seattle
Havana
Bangkok
Rio de Janeiro
Amsterdam
Shanghai
Toronto

Millennials, Food Lovers Lead the Way

Research shows that younger people increasingly favor experiences over things – and that’s evident in the growth of social, people-driven travel. With two-thirds of Experiences guests aged 35 or younger, guests skew millennial and spend an average of $55 per Experience. Overall, guests are also overwhelmingly satisfied with their bookings: 90% of all Experiences earn a 5-star review.

What do guests love to do most? Eat, drink and be merry the locals’ way. We’ve discovered that the most popular Experiences category is food and drink by a strong margin, with more guests booking intimate homestyle dinners, specialty cooking lessons and guided food & drink tours than any other Experiences category.

Most Popular Experiences Categories
Based on bookings in the last 30 days

Food and Drink, 29%
Arts, 14%
Sports, 10%
Lifestyle, 9%
Nature, 9%
Music, 9%
Entertainment, 7%
History, 6%
Fashion, 3%
Wellness, 2%
Nightlife, 2%

Solo Travelers Get Adventurous

While most Experiences bookings are made by groups, we’ve noticed that solo travelers don’t mind veering off the beaten path. Looking at bookings by solo travelers versus groups of two or more,  we found that guests flying solo are more drawn to social, sporty activities like a pickup soccer game or a groovy yoga session, while groups of two or more prefer dining and cooking outings.

I really enjoyed this! A fun, friendly game of pick-up with locals and fellow travelers. The pitch was great and it was nice to be able to socialize with a diverse group after the game.

Alicia, Guest of Play Football with Locals

Experiences Aren’t Just for Vacationers

For travelers, Experiences are a way to get to better know a place through the eyes of locals. But they’re also a way for locals to see their own cities from a fresh perspective, whether it’s by learning a new skill or discovering an under-the-radar music spot. Additionally, through social impact Experiences, where 100% of what you pay goes directly to a local non-profit organization, locals and travelers alike can have fun while getting to know a community and making a meaningful impact.

Dave and the sanctuary he has poured his life into have become home to a medley of curious creatures from wolves to cougars, reptiles to emus, and even a goofy Pygmy Marmoset. Go and re-wild your soul here and connect with these amazing animals in ways you cannot experience anywhere else.

Lauren, Guest of Wolf Encounter

We’re just getting started

Since launching in just 12 cities last year, we’ve added thousands of Experiences to the platform and aren’t slowing down anytime soon. In the few weeks remaining of 2017, we’ll be expanding to markets including Costa Rica, Melbourne, Buenos Aires, Bali, Hong Kong and Jamaica, with many more to come in 2018.