- More Filipinos are traveling with loved ones, as group travel spiked by almost 180 percent year-on-year in 2022.
- For the summer travel season, Airbnb is seeing almost 400 percent growth in searches for Philippines stays, with Santa Maria ranking as the #1 trending destination.
Based on the latest data from Airbnb, an online marketplace for hospitality services, nights booked in the Philippines on Airbnb more than doubled in 2022 compared to figures in 2020 or during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
This development certainly spells good news since, according to the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), in its economic newsletter released in May 2022, the tourism sector is a vital contributor to the resilience of the Philippines’ external payments position and overall economic development alongside the remittances of overseas Filipino workers (OFW), and the surge in fintech startup and business process outsourcing firms.
IMAGE CREDIT: https://www.airbnb.com
As one of the country’s biggest employers, tourism provides various opportunities for businesses and individuals from all segments of society and supports sustained structural foreign exchange (FX) inflows. But given the contact-intensive nature of the tourism sector, it has been significantly hit by the COVID-19
pandemic.
Thankfully, as may be gleaned from Airbnb’s latest survey, prospects for economic recovery in travel and hospitality services are improving amid accelerated mass vaccination and the easing of travel restrictions.
PH ranked as the number 1 travel destination among locals
Based on the Airbnb survey, domestic travel leads the way, with the Philippines ranking as the number 1 travel destination among locals in 2022.*
Traveling with loved ones is also on the rise in the Philippines as travel continues to be an avenue for many to connect with families and barkadas, especially during long holidays and local festivals.
While ‘travel in pairs’ made up the most common booking type for Filipinos on Airbnb, group travel also saw a significant surge, with nights booked jumping by almost 180% year-on-year in 2022.*
The average length of stay for guests on Airbnb was approximately three nights.*
Group-friendly villas on Airbnb include Asteria Villa (left) and Vendali Villa (right) in Santa Maria.
Most booked overseas destinations
Filipinos are also expanding their travel horizons and are eager to explore destinations both near and far.
The United States and Canada ranked first and second respectively on Filipinos’ most booked overseas destinations on Airbnb — while popular Asia Pacific destinations Japan, Korea, and Thailand rounded out the top five.*
Last year, the Filipinos’ most booked overseas cities were Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, London, New York, and Toronto.*
Concurrently, international travelers are planning their overseas getaways with renewed enthusiasm, with many eyeing tropical island destinations such as the Philippines.
Notably, the United States also ranked as the number 1 country of origin for international Airbnb guests in the Philippines last year, followed by Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Korea.*
Summer travel is on the rise
Filipinos are undeniably raring to travel this summer, especially as the Philippine government announced a five-day long weekend this Holy Week. Notably, Airbnb has seen almost 400 percent growth in searches for stays in the Philippines.**
The top five most searched cities this summer by Filipino travelers are Santa Maria in Bulacan, Malay in Aklan, Baguio City in Benguet, Cebu City in Cebu, and Pasay City in Manila.***
Meanwhile, Manila emerged as the most sought-after domestic destination for international travelers, followed by popular travel hotspots Cebu City, Malay, and El Nido.****
Sources:
* Based on internal Airbnb data for 2022.
** Based on searches made in 2022 for check-ins between March 1 – April 30, 2023, compared to the same period in 2022.
***Based on growth in searches for Philippine cities made in Q42022 for check-ins between March 1 – April 30, 2023, by domestic travelers in the Philippines.
**** Based on growth in searches for Philippine cities made in Q42022 for check-ins between March – April 30, 2023, by international travelers in the Philippines.