Travel Watch: Why more young indians are turning their homes into holiday stays you can rent

Young Indians are increasingly becoming Airbnb hosts, with Gen Z host numbers and earnings rising across cities, towns and rural destinations.

India’s Gen Z is changing more than the way it travels. Increasingly, young Indians are also opening their homes to travellers, with Airbnb reporting nearly 40% year-on-year growth in its Gen Z host community during the first half of 2026.

Nearly two in every five new Airbnb hosts in India during this period were aged between 18 and 29. The trend is being seen across major cities, smaller urban centres and rural destinations, suggesting that hosting is becoming an increasingly attractive way for young Indians to earn while sharing their local communities with visitors.

Shreya, a Gen Z Airbnb host from Dehradun, said; “The idea for hosting came when I moved back to Dehradun and began appreciating our home in a completely new way, the garden, the quiet and the sense of comfort it offered. With my mother’s encouragement, I turned our unused first floor into a space for guests. Hosting on Airbnb has allowed me to turn my love for creating warm, welcoming spaces into work, while giving me the flexibility to spend more time with my family, travel and explore my interest in sustainable tourism.”

Which Indian cities are seeing the fastest growth in Gen Z hosts?

Indore has recorded particularly strong growth, with its Gen Z host community increasing by more than 120% year on year in the first half of 2026.

Young hosts are also joining Airbnb in destinations such as:

• Dehradun
• Guwahati
• Hyderabad
• Kochi
• Lucknow
• Mathura

The locations point towards growing interest in hosting beyond India's largest metros.

Are Gen Z hosts also earning more from Airbnb?

Yes. Airbnb says earnings among Gen Z hosts in India increased by more than 60% year on year during the first half of 2026.

The company says earnings can vary depending on location and listing type, but the rise comes alongside the expansion of the young host community.

There is also an indication that growth in numbers has not affected the quality of hosting. Nearly one in seven Gen Z hosts in India has achieved Superhost status, Airbnb’s recognition for consistently high hospitality. That share has remained steady as the Gen Z host community grew by nearly 40% in a year.

Is Airbnb hosting spreading beyond India’s big cities?

Increasingly, yes. Gen Z hosting is also growing in rural and less densely populated urban destinations.

Destination type	Gen Z host growth
Rural destinations	60% year on year
Low density urban destinations	Almost 70% year on year
Indore	More than 120% year on year
India overall	Nearly 40% year on year

Airbnb defines low-density urban destinations as locations that appear to be less densely populated based on satellite imagery data.

Amanpreet Singh Bajaj, Country Head, Airbnb India and Southeast Asia, said: “India’s Gen Z is redefining what it means to participate in travel, not just as travellers, but increasingly as hosts and entrepreneurs.”

He added that young hosts are sharing local knowledge and creating new opportunities through hosting, while bringing their local perspective to the platform.

For travellers, the shift could mean more accommodation choices outside traditional tourist centres. For young hosts, it offers another way to turn unused spaces and local knowledge into an income source.

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