Coinciding with International Women’s Day, Airbnb, the leading diverse accommodation and experiences marketplace, today launched #HostWithHer, a campaign celebrating female hosts in Thailand and the rest of the region.

Since 2008, Airbnb’s community of women has been creating meaningful connections and fostering transformative experiences through travel, with women making up more than half of Airbnb’s host community globally (54%). In Thailand, 53% of listings are hosted by women, as well as 56% of experiences, making Thailand among the top countries with the highest percentage of Airbnb Experiences hosts globally. Taiwan welcomed the third-highest percentage of women guests globally (57%), hosting over 490,000 women guests in 2019 alone.

#HostWithHer highlights the important role of women in Airbnb’s growing community as they discover the joy of hosting and working towards creating a gender-equal world with thriving economies and communities. In line with the campaign launch, Airbnb has unveiled a dedicated #HostWithHer campaign at https://www.airbnb.com/d/hostwithher-th. The web page features inspiring stories from a diverse array of local female hosts and includes recommendations for women-powered Airbnb Stays and Experiences.

Empowered Female Hosts on the Rise

The opportunities available on the Airbnb platform has led to the rise of female hospitality entrepreneurs who are passionate about driving a meaningful tourism industry, powered by technology.

Championing the mission of belonging, Airbnb’s platform enables women to achieve greater financial, professional, and social empowerment through digital tourism. Globally, female hosts earned nearly US$15 billion in 2019, while in Thailand they earned over US$105 million (more than THB3.5 billion). A sizable number of our 2019 global community of women hosts (21%) said they consider hosting their primary occupation, with 54% of that group reporting their earnings have helped them grow their business, and more than half of them said they see it as a lifeline for their own welfare: 51% said the money from hosting has allowed them to stay in their homes.

 

Women Hosts Win with 5-star Reviews

When it comes to creating connections with guests, female hosts are also known to go the extra mile. This trend is reflected globally as 83% of female hosts worldwide earned 5-star reviews, with an average review of 4.77 stars. In Thailand and the rest of the region, hospitality is second nature – of all women hosts who received 5-star reviews in 2019, over 40% of them were based in Asia Pacific.

Mich Goh, Head of Public Policy (Southeast Asia), Airbnb said,

“This International Women’s Day, we are delighted to celebrate the incredible stories and milestones of our female hosts, who represent over half of our host community in Thailand. Women around the world are using their income gained through Airbnb in various ways – from helping send their kids to school, to pursuing their passions, to giving them a chance to live an independent lifestyle. We’re looking forward to joining hands with more female hosts so they can continue empowering themselves and living life on their own terms.”

Speaking of how Airbnb has helped her and her local community in Krabi, Airbnb Experiences Host Phapavarin Wansuk said

“While our community was already welcoming tourists prior to launching my Airbnb Experience, most of the visitors were from nearby areas. I wanted to reach out to international visitors and Airbnb allowed me to do this. Our first international guests were from Korea and they provided valuable feedback on how to improve the experience and how to further make our community appeal to international visitors. While some local community members were unsure they wanted to welcome international visitors initially, today they have all been well received and the community at large has benefitted from Airbnb guests.”

Discover a diverse array of women-powered Stays and Experiences for your next trip at www.airbnb.com/d/hostwithher-th.