Airbnb India bookings jump 60 per cent as first time users double

MUMBAI: India is checking in and checking in fast. Airbnb saw bookings from Indian travellers surge in the June quarter, with the country emerging as one of its fastest-growing origin markets as more first-time users turned to the platform for stays and experiences.

Indian travellers booked 60 per cent more net nights on Airbnb in the second quarter of 2026 compared with a year earlier, while the number of first-time Indian bookers more than doubled during the period.

The sharp growth came as travel demand strengthened across the Asia Pacific region, where Nights and Seats Booked rose in the high teens year on year. Japan also recorded high-teens growth in origin net nights, while average daily rates across the region increased 1 per cent.

Amanpreet Singh Bajaj, Airbnb’s Country Head for India and Southeast Asia, said the company continued to see momentum in India, particularly from first-time guests, as travellers increasingly explored distinctive stays and experiences on the platform.

The Indian performance formed part of a strong global quarter for Airbnb. Revenue increased 17 per cent year on year to $3.6 billion, while Gross Booking Value climbed 16 per cent to $27.2 billion.

The platform recorded 148.3 million Nights and Seats Booked, up 10 per cent from the year-ago quarter. Net income rose to $816 million, compared with $642 million in Q2 2025.

Adjusted EBITDA increased 21 per cent to $1.26 billion, from $1.04 billion a year earlier, taking the adjusted EBITDA margin to 35 per cent from 34 per cent. Free cash flow also climbed to $1.25 billion, compared with $962 million in the corresponding quarter.

First-time bookers globally grew 11 per cent, marking their strongest growth rate in four years, with India, Brazil and Japan among the markets recording particularly strong expansion.

Airbnb’s app is also becoming a bigger part of the booking journey. App bookings rose 23 per cent year on year and accounted for 64 per cent of total nights booked, compared with 59 per cent a year earlier.

The company’s ambitions are also moving beyond its traditional home-sharing roots. Supply of Experiences jumped nearly 80 per cent year on year during Q2, while Airbnb added thousands of boutique and independent hotels across more than 20 destinations. Hotel nights booked grew at roughly three times the rate of the homes business, although hotels still accounted for a single-digit share of total nights.

Artificial intelligence is meanwhile helping Airbnb trim some of the friction from its operations. Nearly 45 per cent of issues initiated through its AI assistant were resolved without human intervention, while customer support costs per booking declined by around 16 per cent year on year.

The 2026 FIFA World Cup provided another lift, with Airbnb recording millions of guest arrivals during the tournament, including a significant number of first-time users. More than 150,000 homes across World Cup host cities were listed on the platform for the first time.

Airbnb plans to replicate the model around other major events, including partnerships and activity linked to the International Olympic Committee, Tour de France, Art Basel fairs, Lollapalooza festivals, La Liga and NASCAR.

Looking ahead, Airbnb expects third-quarter 2026 revenue of between $4.69 billion and $4.77 billion, representing year-on-year growth of 15 to 17 per cent. With Indian travellers increasingly joining the platform for the first time, the country’s travel boom is becoming an increasingly important part of Airbnb’s global growth story.