Demand for Airbnb’s business program growing rapidly in Asia Pacific

Demand for Airbnb’s business program, Airbnb for Work, is growing rapidly in Asia Pacific as it signs more companies in the region like the Hyundai Motor Company, Culture Convenience Club, etc.

The Global Business Travel Association estimates that APAC accounts for the largest proportion (40%) of the global $ 1.2 trillion business travel spend, and with the overall market expected to grow by 3.7% per year over the next decade, specifically in Asia, corporate travel spending looks to double to $ 645 billion annually, comprising half of global spending and outperforming the Americas.

75% of all Asia Pacific business travel occurs within the region, signifying a huge growth opportunity for Airbnb for Work. In fact, Airbnb in APAC has seen 5x year-on-year growth in corporate travel bookings between 2016 and 2017, outpacing the Airbnb global average of 4.3x over the same period. Since launching the program, approximately 53,000 companies in Asia Pacific have used Airbnb for Work.

“We’re seeing more and more business travellers looking for unique accommodations that match their lifestyles, similar to the authentic experiences that come from leisure travel. By using Airbnb for business travel, people can get under the skin of a city by understanding its culture and hidden gems through locals and living in a neighbourhood,” said David Holyoke, Global Head of Business Travel. “This is why more than 250,000 global companies have used Airbnb for Work and 15% of Airbnb customers travel for business. Airbnb business travellers in Asia now extend their business trip to include a weekend, with an average of six days instead of four.”

Airbnb for Work is an expanded product on Airbnb’s travel platform, helping companies of all sizes cater to their employees’ diverse travel needs by allowing business travellers to directly book Airbnb accommodations and automatically expense them back to their employers. 

Key features include:

• Business travellers can search for ‘Business Travel Ready’ listings that come with WiFi, 24-hour check-in, designated workspace, etc.
• Airbnb for Work also includes a suite of travel management tools that provide travel managers with visibility into financial reporting data and employee itineraries.
• For business travel, Airbnb also provides a tool that allows employees to book business travel for co-workers. This feature allows business partners like travel managers and executive assistants to book Airbnb listings on behalf of other employees. Both the employee who is managing travel and the employee who is taking the trip can see the trip details, make changes to the reservation and message the Airbnb host with questions about the listing or neighbourhood.
• Airbnb has partnered with leading Travel Management Companies (TMCs) such as Carlson Wagonlit, BCD Travel and American Express Global Business Travel (GBT) and most recently Concur, a SAP company. Most recently, Airbnb has also partnered with Flight Centre in Australia and New Zealand.

Culture Convenience Club (CCC) Head of Human Resources Toshio Matsuura said: “We have more options to choose from, especially during peak travel seasons. Employees also find it fun and imaginative when it comes to selecting their listings, which aligns with our company’s value as a lifestyle-driven marketing company. For our travel managers, it is easy to manage bookings through the customised dashboard which allows visibility into all employees’ past, present and future trips.”