San Francisco: Airbnb will continue to invest and play the "long game" in India, one of the fastest-growing global markets that is driven by rising middle class and travel-hungry Gen Z, according to its CEO Brian Chesky.
Speaking to PTI at Airbnb's headquarters here, Chesky, who is also the company's co-founder, outlined a long-term vision for the Indian market, highlighting the company's continued investments in the region to cater to a growing base of domestic travellers.
"My approach in India is to play the long game, to really invest in the country, to invest in the community, and let everyone in India know that Airbnb's here to stay. It's one of the (markets) I'm most focused on. It's one of those I expect to grow the fastest. And I think one day it will be one of the biggest markets in the world on Airbnb," Chesky said.
Noting that the young population naturally gravitates towards the platform's offerings, he added, "We index very highly with Gen Z... and India's got a very large Gen Z population. I don't think many young people in India are as predisposed to travelling (staying) in a hotel the traditional way... I think it's going to be a major part of our story for the next 10-20 years."
Highlighting that India already houses Airbnb's largest corporate office outside the US, Chesky affirmed that the country is poised for heavy future investment as the platform takes the market "very, very seriously".
He observed that 80 per cent of the platform's business in the country is driven by domestic travel. Because many Indians are first-time travellers compared to those in the western markets with centuries of cross-border travel history, they place a particularly high premium on quality and safety.
Airbnb's focus on India aligns with its broader global strategy to evolve from a core home-sharing platform into a one-stop shop for travel.
The company, which connects property owners and travellers for short-term stays, has rolled out a comprehensive suite of services designed to manage end-to-end aspects of a user's trip. The platform has introduced a range of new offerings, including in-app car rentals, grocery deliveries, airport pickups, and luggage storage.
The app is also being heavily upgraded with AI-powered tools to simplify trip planning. These include AI-generated review highlights that summarise guest reviews, AI-powered property comparisons, and AI customer support in 11 languages.
While these new services are currently live in select global cities, the company plans to bring all these upgrades to the Indian market in the near future.
Despite geopolitical conflicts and economic shifts, Chesky remains highly bullish on the global travel industry, noting it has reached a post-pandemic equilibrium.
"Where there's life, there's travel," he said, adding that the industry will only continue to grow, with India serving as "one of the core engines of growth".
