Unique and more flexible stays are increasingly sought after, hosted travel sees a boost across demographics — the rise of millennial and senior hosts and sustainable and restorative travel emerge as key travel trends in India as per Airbnb. In celebration of World Tourism Day, the travel platform rounds up what Indian travelers are seeking the most.

As Indians continue to enjoy travel to domestic destinations, more people are exploring newer destinations adjacent to metros, in the hills, and in off-the-beaten-path destinations that offer local experiences. Searches for international locales are also rising as more places start to lift restrictions.

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Homestay hosts have benefited from renting their spaces, with both millennials and senior hosts looking forward to high earnings and growth. Planning trips around unique places to stay like treehouses to castles got a whole lot easier with the global release of Flexible Destinations. This feature joins a suite of new flexible product innovations designed to completely transform the browsing and booking experience.

Clicking on ‘I’m Flexible’ will reveal unique listing categories — from houseboats to domes to A-frames and even private islands — with the nearest to the guest’s location at the top of the list. Guests can also see the search results displayed on a map, and simply enter the dates they want to travel or search with flexible dates (i.e. a weekend, week, or month) to easily book a trip to a one-of-a-kind property.

According to Airbnb India data, travelers are uncovering new stay experiences when they travel. Goa remains a key domestic destination and continues to be the most searched for destination for homestays followed by Delhi, Lonavala and Bengaluru.

Hosting is a great way to ensure that the economic benefits of travel are distributed within the communities in which our Hosts are present. Hosted travel has also seen a resurgence with over 50 percent of new Airbnb Hosts in the first half of 2021 being millennials aged between 25-40 years. The top five states where these new Hosts were based are Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh, collectively earning over Rs 2.6 crore in H1 2021 (January-June 2021).

The Rise of Digital Nomads and a need to stay connected at all times has resulted in thanks to the growing flexibility to live and work from anywhere. Being able to determine a listing’s WiFi speed before booking is a must-have for digital nomads. The WiFi speed listing feature on Airbnb is helping travelers book their perfect accommodation.

Commenting on these trends, Amanpreet Bajaj, General Manager — Airbnb India, Southeast Asia, Hong Kong, and Taiwan, said, “Demand for travel is picking up, and the sector is showing positive signs of being able to meet the challenge of recovery. Indian travelers are ever-eager to identify unique accommodations they may not have experienced before. Travellers are also becoming increasingly aware of sustainable travel and of making environmentally friendly choices when traveling. With a firm focus on cultivating responsible tourism practices, Airbnb is committed to working with our Hosts to ensure that travel is restorative for the communities in which we are based. We have always supported travel that empowers local communities and benefits them economically. Our aim is also to cultivate micro-entrepreneurship and we are glad to see Hosts across demographics benefit from the recent uptick in travel.”