Airbnb Guests Spent More Than $1 Billion in Restaurants Across Asia Pacific

According to Airbnb’s ​Restaurant Spending Report, Airbnb guests have spent 35 percent more on eating out ​across five cities in Asia Pacific (​APAC): ​Hong ​Kong, ​Osaka-shi, ​Singapore, Sydney, ​and ​Tokyo ​during ​their ​trips in 2017. This is ​$260 ​million ​more ​than ​the ​previous ​year, which ​saw ​$740 ​million ​in ​guest ​spending ​throughout ​cities ​across ​APAC.

Eating out boosts restaurant industry and helps local businesses

Apart from trying out native cuisine at local favorites, Airbnb wants to encourage guests to discover their vicinity, leading them to spend their time and resources at local businesses in the area. Globally, 43 percent of guest spending, on average, occurs in the neighborhood in which they are staying in. 56 percent of Airbnb guests also saved money by using Airbnb and spent more on other things such as food and shopping.

Case study: Singapore

When ​Harry ​Grover ​first ​moved ​to ​Singapore, ​he ​lived ​with ​his ​brother ​in ​Tiong ​Bahru and ​immediately ​saw ​the ​potential ​and ​heritage ​of ​Tiong ​Bahru. ​In ​2010, ​Harry opened ​up ​Forty ​Hands, ​a ​neighborhood ​coffee ​shop ​on ​the ​once ​quiet ​Yong ​Siak Street. ​Specializing ​in ​“Third ​Wave ​coffee,” ​the ​cafe’s ​primary ​mission ​is ​to ​“promote sustainability ​by ​opting ​for ​direct ​trade ​and ​offering ​delicious ​specialty ​coffee ​made with ​super ​fresh ​beans.”“I believe that Airbnb is making a big contribution to the liveliness of this neighborhood. The number of tourists in Tiong Bahru has been steadily increasing with about 30 percent of our customers made up of tourists.”

Harry ​Grover, ​Co-founder ​of ​Forty Hands

“For ​a ​business ​that ​has ​been ​around ​for ​seven ​years, ​many ​Singaporeans ​would ​have passed ​the ​‘discovery ​stage.’ ​The ​fact ​that ​our ​sales ​in ​the ​last ​three ​years ​are ​not staying ​consistent, ​but ​increasing ​significantly, ​is ​really ​attributed ​to ​tourists,” ​Grover said. ​“It’s ​clear ​that ​tourists ​love ​the ​neighborhood, ​which ​maintains ​its ​old ​charm while ​opening ​up ​new ​spots, ​as ​well. ​From ​families ​to ​millennials, ​tourists ​flock ​to Tiong ​Bahru ​market ​and ​Forty ​Hands ​has ​certainly ​benefited ​from ​the ​foot ​traffic.”

Case Study: Sydney

The ​Sydney ​Home ​Sharing ​Club ​partnered ​with ​#EastSideSydney, ​a ​group ​of ​local business ​chambers, ​to ​connect ​local ​small ​business ​owners ​with ​local ​Airbnb ​hosts, and ​to ​continue ​to ​expand ​the ​great ​work ​of ​travelers ​exploring ​and ​supporting ​the local ​business ​community. ​#EastSideSydney ​is ​an ​initiative ​of ​Surry ​Hills ​Creative Precinct, ​Darlinghurst ​Business ​Partnership ​and ​Potts ​Point ​Partnership.“Airbnb guests traveling from all around the world are looking to experience life as a local. Therefore, they highly value Airbnb host recommendations on where to go and ​what to do in our city. That takes their trip beyond living in​a typical dwelling but also makes them feel like they already belong here as soon as they check-in.”

Mehdi, ​Airbnb host ​in ​Sydney

“When ​they ​actually ​arrive, ​we ​offer ​them ​a ​tour ​of ​their ​new ​immediate ​surroundings and ​we ​also ​kindly ​suggest ​that ​if ​we ​have ​time, ​we ​could ​go ​out ​all ​together ​and enjoy ​a ​drink ​or ​a ​bite ​in ​one ​of ​our ​favourite ​places.”

43% of APAC travelers polled enjoy eating out while traveling

This phenomenon is further supported by the Airbnb APAC Travel Survey which also showed that among the seven countries surveyed (Australia, China, India, Japan, Singapore, South Korea and Thailand), Australian travelers have the highest propensity to eat out (57%). On the rest of the spectrum, Indian travelers are a close second (55%), followed by Singaporeans (48%), South Koreans (40%), Japanese (38%), Thais (34%) and Chinese (26%).

For those who would like to bring home the flavors of Asia that they have sampled, Airbnb has partnered with four local stellar, award-winning chefs: Chef Manish Mehrotra (India); Chef Tony Yoo (South Korea); Chef Ian Kittichai (Thailand); and Chef Koh Kentetsu (Japan) for the Airbnb Kitchens of Asia campaign as well as foodie hosts to create authentic, local dishes which can be easily replicated in domestic or overseas kitchens. These simple recipes can be found here.

More APAC male travelers prefer dining out compared to female travelers

In Australia (62%), China (29%), Japan (41%) and Singapore (51%), male travelers prefer eating out when they are on a trip compared to their female counterparts from the same countries. This is in contrast to India (54%) and South Korea (39%), whereby 57 percent of female Indian travelers and 40 percent of female South Korean travelers are more keen on trying external dining options.

However, in Thailand, both genders are equally keen (34%) on eating out while on vacation.

Singaporeans over 55 like to eat out when traveling

57 percent of Singaporean travelers aged above 55 years old prefer eating out, On the other hand, 18-24 year old Australian (65%), South Korean (49%) and Thai (40%) travelers are the ones most likely to dine out during their vacations. For Japanese (43%) travelers, people between 25-34 years old prefer eating out while Chinese (29%) and Indian (60%) travelers between 45-54 years old enjoy having their meals at local restaurants.

Having an adventurous taste does not have to end when the vacation ends. Through Airbnb Kitchens of Asia initiative, the recipes curated by the four leading chefs and Airbnb hosts use 10 ingredients or less, or can be made in under 30 minutes, making it convenient to enjoy these Asian local delicacies even after the trip is over.

Notes to Editors:

Airbnb Restaurant Spending Report

Estimated ​guest ​spending ​on ​restaurants ​and ​dining ​out ​reflects ​spending ​by ​guests during ​stays ​in ​Airbnb ​homes ​occurring ​from ​Sept. ​1, ​2016 ​to ​Sept. ​1, ​2017. These ​estimates ​were ​calculated ​using ​internal ​Airbnb ​data ​and ​survey ​data ​on ​Airbnb guest ​activity. ​Survey ​data ​on ​Airbnb ​guest ​activity ​comes ​from ​Airbnb’s ​Annual Community ​Compact ​Survey, ​which ​asks ​guests ​to ​estimate ​their ​total ​spending across ​categories ​such ​as ​restaurants ​and ​dining ​out, ​shopping, ​transportation ​and leisure. ​Average ​spending ​figures ​per ​guest ​per ​night ​were ​calculated ​for ​various markets ​around ​the ​world, ​and ​internal ​Airbnb ​data ​on ​guest ​nights ​was ​used ​to estimate ​total ​spending ​during ​the ​12-month ​period. ​Comparisons ​to ​guest ​spending on ​restaurants ​and ​dining ​out ​in ​2016 ​refer ​to ​data ​in ​a ​report ​released ​by ​Airbnb ​in October ​2016, ​which ​studied ​the ​12-month ​period ​between ​Sept. ​1, ​2015 ​to Sept. ​1, ​2016.

Airbnb Kitchens of Asia Campaign

Airbnb Kitchens of Asia is a campaign to bring together top Asian chefs, Airbnb ‘foodie’ hosts and travelers seeking adventurous and authentic local flavors and cuisine. The four award-winning chefs created recipes that help travelers live like a local, while on holiday or when they get back home.

In addition, Airbnb ‘foodie’ hosts have shared their favorite dishes that are quick and simple so that they can replicate in the kitchen of their Airbnb home. The Chefs and home cooks devised recipes that use 10 ingredients or less, or to be cooked in less than 30 minutes. You can learn more about the recipes at Airbnb Kitchens of Asia Recipe Book.

Survey methodology

All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from YouGov Singapore Pte. Limited. In total, YouGov surveyed 6,979 travelers across APAC taken from representative samples of 7,269 people in each of Australia, Singapore, Thailand, China, South Korea, Japan and India. Fieldwork was undertaken between Sept. 11-14, 2017. The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all adults (aged 18+) in each country.