Airbnb expands to the Philippines

I have never been a client of Airbnb although I love seeing the homes and rooms being put up for rent around the world. Somehow, it gives me an idea how people are living in faraway places like Paris, Morocco and San Francisco.

It turns out the Philippines is now one of Airbnb’s growing markets with 400 per cent growth year-over-year in the Philippines in 2012.According to the web company’s co-founder and Chief Technology Officer Nathan Blecharczyk : “Manila is a growing travel destination, and people from the Philippines are traveling abroad at increasing rates, so we believe it will be a crucial market for us as we continue to grow.”

JJ Chai, Director of Operations for Airbnb Southeast Asia, cites some statistics about the Philippines:

– Guests have come from 67 different countries around the world to travel in the Philippines on Airbnb.

– The number of guest nights booked on Airbnb in the Philippines has increased 345% in 2012 alone.

– The number of Airbnb guest nights booked by people from the Philippines traveling elsewhere has increased 263% in 2012, with the most popular destinations being Hong Kong, New York, Paris, Singapore, Manila, Rome, Seoul, Barcelona, Florence, and London.

– Airbnb has over 975 listings in the Philippines, including 530 in Manila.

To support the rapid growth in the Philippines, Airbnb has tabbed Ole Ruch as manager of the Southeast Asia region. The team focused on the Philippines will work to better support hosts and guests in the market, assisting in managing listings, bookings, and educating users about the Airbnb process.

Airbnb is currently the world market leader in unique, short-term accommodations. In June the company celebrated 10 million nights booked, and on any given night, over 50,000 guests are staying at Airbnb accommodations around the world.