Meet the women using Airbnb to realise their entrepreneurial vision

As a pioneer of the sharing economy, Airbnb has long been powered by a worldwide community of female hosts.

Research has shown that the number of women deciding to host on Airbnb is in fact increasing. Last year, we announced that since Airbnb began in 2008, women made $10 billion on Airbnb. In just this past year alone, women have made nearly an additional $10B.

This is also true  in APAC. We found that:

  • In New Zealand, 70% of our hosts are women
  • In the Philippines 61% of our hosts are women
  • Vietnam is one of our fastest growing markets for women. Women make up 53% of all hosts in Vietnam, and grew 114% in the last year
  • Women in Japan make the most on average – earning roughly $10,000/year
  • Our market with the most women hosts is Hawke’s Bay New Zealand, a city on the east coast of New Zealand’s North Island where 78% of the hosts are women
  • Xian, China is our fast-growing market. 57% of all the hosts are women, and women hosts in the city grew 168% from last year

We see six key reasons for this:

  • A desire to offer hospitality to people and give them a deeper understanding of the place they are visiting
  • To share a personal passion with others
  • To build a second career in a specific area
  • To support their entrepreneurial pursuits
  • To help support local businesses and preserve traditions
  • A sense of social entrepreneurship.

To celebrate International Women’s Day, we are proud to introduce some of these hosts from around the region.

Preserving a great tradition

Australia: Enjoy Classic Aussie Milk Bar Treats

Jessica operates a milk bar with her husband in Sydney. Although milk bars have long been part of Australian local culture, their numbers are in decline meaning they could become a thing of the past. Jessica wants to keep this vibrant tradition alive by sharing her enthusiasm for it with others.

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Local neighbourhood champion

Japan: Tokyo Neighborhood Cycle

A former online marketer, Kaoru is the founder of a travel company that aims to connect visitors to the less-explored parts of Eastern Tokyo, a part of the city with rich history. She has travelled widely herself and now enjoys opening the neighbourhood of Kiyosumi Shirakawa to visitors on a cycling tour that takes in the numerous artisanal traditions of the area.

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Second career

Korea: Homestyle Seoul Cooking 101

Yang Chul is an actress who became a chef after studying at the Hattori Nutrition College in Tokyo. She cooks simply but with great flair and finds satisfaction not just in serving food but teaching people to cook it. At her studio, guests learn to adapt classic Korean cooking to a home-cooked meal. In sharing her professional skills, she is a great ambassador for Korea.

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Hospitality-driven entrepreneurship

India: Indian Shopping Sojourn

Parul used to be a flight attendant for Swiss Air, and now takes great pleasure in welcoming people to her home in New Delhi and showing them how to shop. There is an art to shopping in New Delhi that many people would struggle with on their own. Parul’s mission is to take people to the best places while avoiding tourist traps, and helping them get the best bargains.

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Female entrepreneur with a mission

China: Architecture and history of Shanghai

Anne used to work for a travel company but started organizing city walks of her own in Shanghai because she wanted to show the human side of the city as well as its architecture. Through Anne, visitors to this buzzing city get to experience its various sides, including its colonial history, and learn about the stories that have shaped its character.

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Social entrepreneur

Bali: Rebuilding Bali’s coral reefs

Gayatri is a marine conservation pioneer. Her aim is to protect Bali’s coral reefs by teaching people about sustainable fish breeding, and in particular rearing and caring for tropical fish such as the clownfish. Being an experience host supports this important work by generating income and spreading understanding of conservation.

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