Airbnb Highlights How Indian Women Shaped Travel Trends in 2025

Ahead of International Women’s Day, Airbnb has highlighted the growing influence of women hosts and travellers in shaping hospitality and travel trends across India.

According to Airbnb data, nearly 30% of Airbnb hosts in India are women, and they manage almost 35% of “Guest Favourite” listings, reflecting their growing role in delivering high-quality guest experiences and strengthening local tourism ecosystems.

Aligned with this year’s International Women’s Day theme, “Give to Gain,” Airbnb emphasised the role women play in building stronger communities through hosting and travel. By sharing their homes, culture and local knowledge, women hosts are not only creating livelihoods for themselves but also generating economic opportunities within their communities.

Highlighting the company’s commitment to supporting women entrepreneurs, Amanpreet Singh Bajaj, Country Head for Airbnb India and Southeast Asia, said women hosts are helping build stronger local economies.

“Women who host are not just building successful businesses, but also strengthening local economies and communities. When women share their homes, skills and stories, they create opportunities not only for themselves but for others around them. When women thrive, entire communities benefit,” Bajaj said.

Beyond hosting, Indian women travellers are also shaping travel patterns on the platform. Duo travel, where two people travel together, emerged as the most popular trip type, followed by small group trips among Indian women travellers.

In 2025, the most searched international destinations by Indian women travellers included Dubai, London, Bangkok, Paris, Ubud, Amsterdam, Tokyo and Rome.

Within India, the top searched domestic destinations were North Goa, South Goa, Bengaluru, Mumbai, Jaipur, Gurugram and Pune district.

Apart from established tourist hotspots, women travellers are increasingly exploring emerging and culturally rich destinations.

Airbnb data showed that Dakshina Kannada in Karnataka and Mathura in Uttar Pradesh recorded nearly 50% year-on-year growth in bookings, indicating rising interest in heritage, spiritual and nature-based travel experiences.

Internationally, Kazbegi in Georgia recorded more than 100% year-on-year growth in bookings on Airbnb, reflecting growing demand for offbeat travel destinations.

The shift towards emerging destinations reflects a broader trend among women travellers toward experience-driven journeys that support local communities and smaller tourism ecosystems.

Airbnb has also launched initiatives such as the Airbnb Entrepreneurship Academy in Goa, the first programme of its kind in India aimed at training aspiring homestay entrepreneurs. The programme provides training in hospitality management, business fundamentals and sustainable hosting, with a special focus on empowering women and supporting rural communities.

Many organisations supported by the Airbnb Community Fund in India are also working to expand opportunities for women.

Sharing her experience, Babita, a host from Uttarakhand who participated in the Airbnb Entrepreneurship Academy, said the training helped transform her homestay into a sustainable livelihood.

“Before the Airbnb Academy training, we were running a homestay without really knowing how to manage it. Airbnb taught us how to register, host guests and share our culture. It gave me the confidence to turn my small idea into a sustainable livelihood,” she said.

Airbnb said it remains committed to creating more inclusive opportunities for women in tourism and hospitality, noting that women hosts and travellers are playing a growing role in building stronger local economies and a more diverse tourism landscape.