Jia Jih “JJ” Chai Director of Operations for Airbnb
MANILA, Philippines – December 20, 2012 – Airbnb, the world’s leading marketplace to list, discover and book unique accommodations, today announced its continuing expansion into Southeast Asia with the beginning of focused efforts in the Philippines. Airbnb will focus on engaging with its rapidly-growing community in Manila and throughout the country, as the company has seen over 400% growth year-over-year in the Philippines in 2012.
“Airbnb is about creating unique, memorable experiences, and we’re seeing a huge increase in demand in the Philippines and across Asia,” says 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.”
A few statistics on Airbnb’s growth in 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.
About Airbnb:
Founded in August of 2008 and based in San Francisco, California, Airbnb is a trusted community marketplace for people to list, discover, and book unique accommodations around the world – online or from a mobile phone. Whether an apartment for a night, a castle for a week, or a villa for a month, Airbnb connects people to unique travel experiences, at any price point, in more than 30,000 cities and 192 countries. And with world-class customer service and a growing community of users, Airbnb is the easiest way for people to monetize their extra space and showcase it to an audience of millions.
Press Contact:
Jakob Kerr
press@airbnb.com
Mel Dominnguez
mel.dominguez@dominguez.com.ph
+63 918 390 1584
Idel Esagunde
+63 928 506 7936
Claudine Imperial
claudine.imperial@dominguez.com.ph
+63 916 111 1995