Latest data from Airbnb revealed that as travel continues to recover post-pandemic, nights booked in Thailand on Airbnb more than doubled last year from 2020*, with international travel leading the way and Bangkok emerging a top destination of choice for global travellers on Airbnb.
The popular capital city emerged as the #1 trending destination globally for Airbnb guests in Q3 last year, and #5 on Airbnb’s list of top trending global travel spots in 2023**. This comes as Thailand recently forecasted that 25-30 million travellers will visit this year – a strong indication of tourism recovery in the country up from 11 million international visitors last year.
Bangkok was the top most booked Thai destination on Airbnb in 2022, closely followed by Phuket, Pattaya, Chiang Mai and Koh Samui. Driving this strong momentum are travellers from the United States, which ranks as the top country of origin for Airbnb guests visiting Thailand in 2022. Other top countries and regions of origin were the United Kingdom, Europe, and Asia Pacific including South Korea, Australia, and China*.
China guests are driving inbound travel
The resurgence in China outbound travel from Q4 last year has been instrumental to the rebound in international travellers in Thailand, and continues to be a bright spot for the country this year. Within 24 hours of the government’s announcement on 26 December 2022 to lift inbound quarantine requirements, Thailand ranked as the top most searched outbound destination amongst guests from China on Airbnb.***
Group travel is on the rise
As more people travel to reconnect with loved ones, group travel in Thailand on Airbnb surged over 300 percent year-on-year in 2022*. This comes as family travel on the global platform increased 60 percent in 2022 compared to pre-pandemic, with more families booking Airbnb stays for their value and space. Nearly 90 percent of Airbnb stays have kitchens, one-quarter have three bedrooms or more, and more than a million have cribs for small children.****
Travellers are staying for longer
Airbnb is also attracting guests who stay for longer, as more global travellers enjoy greater flexibility in work and travel. In 2022 the average length of stay on the platform in Thailand was approximately 5 nights, and long term stays of over 28 days more than tripled year-over-year*. As international travel rebounds post-pandemic, Airbnb continues to work closely with the Tourism Authority of Thailand to drive more long-term stays in Thailand. Both parties co-launched a Live and Work Anywhere digital guide in January this year to support the growth of digital nomads in Thailand.
The K-wave is leading the way for Thai travel overseas
While domestic travel remains popular, Thais’ appetite for overseas travel has returned with more looking to explore popular hotspots. Thais’ top five overseas destinations on Airbnb in 2022 were South Korea, United States, United Kingdom, France and Japan, with their most booked cities being Seoul, London, Paris, Melbourne and New York*.
This Songkran, let the travel adventures begin
After years of muted celebrations during the pandemic, Songkran travel is back in full swing with Airbnb guest searches for the festive period clocking a more than 310 percent year-on-year increase. Bangkok is the most-searched destination amongst international guests for this period followed by Pattaya, Chiang Mai, Krabi and Phuket, while Thai travellers are looking to resort destinations, with Pattaya ranking top in guest searches for Airbnb stays*****.
Notably, Australia ranks the top country of origin for international guests this Thai New Year, followed by the United States, United Kingdom, Germany and France. Closer to home, top origins of international guests include Singapore, South Korea, China and Malaysia. Notably, over 20 percent of China guest searches for Thailand stays for spring travel this year were for the Songkran period.******
“With Songkran just round the corner, we are delighted to see the significant resurgence in international travel to Thailand on Airbnb. The growing excitement amongst global travellers to experience the country’s scenic natural landscapes, rich cultural heritage, delicious local cuisine and world-class Thai hospitality, is extremely encouraging and signals strong tourism recovery. In line with our efforts to promote inclusive and responsible tourism in the country, we remain committed to working closely with the government and relevant stakeholders to accelerate travel recovery and futureproof the tourism industry in Thailand,” said Amanpreet Bajaj, Airbnb’s General Manager for Southeast Asia, India, Hong Kong and Taiwan.
Note:
*Based on internal Airbnb data for 2022.
**Based on searches made in Q1-Q3 2022 for check-ins in 2022 vs the same period in 2021.
***Based on China guest searches on Airbnb, made on 27 December, 2022 (one day after the government’s announcement of the planned lifting of inbound quarantine requirements).
****According to internal Airbnb data looking at family travel, defined as a check-in with at least one child, between Jan. 1 and Dec. 31, 2022.
*****Based on 2022 guest searches made for check-ins in Thailand from 13-15 April 2023, vs same period in 2022.
******Based on China users’ search data in Q4 2022 for Airbnb stays in Thailand during April-May spring travel.
