Resurfacing a May move: Airbnb targeted India's Gen Z and millennials with services and experiences
Airbnb, in a strategy outlined in May 2025, reported a 40% year-on-year increase in Indian millennial and Gen Z bookers in Q4 2024. Its India growth strategy targets these travellers with services and experiences, including activities in their own cities.
The development
Airbnb reported a 40 per cent increase in Indian millennials and Gen Z booking on its platform in Q4 of 2024 relative to Q4 of 2023. It is targeting these travellers with services and experiences, including activities in their own cities.
The numbers
- 40 per cent
- Q4 of 2024
- Q4 of 2023
Why it matters to operators and investors
Airbnb’s 40% year-on-year growth in Indian millennial and Gen Z bookers in Q4 2024 supports its India demand thesis, with services-and-experiences monetisation the next metric to watch.
What to watch next
- Whether Indian millennial and Gen Z booker growth persists beyond Q4 2024; the reported 40% increase alone does not establish market size or profitability.
- The share of experience bookings made by residents in their own cities, alongside repeat-booking frequency.
- Experience attachment rates to accommodation bookings and evidence of incremental spending rather than substitution.
- Provider retention, direct-booking leakage and acquisition incentives relative to platform fee revenue.
- Cancellation, refund and safety-incident rates, plus any licensing or compliance constraints on local services.
The counter-case
The 40% increase measures bookers in one demographic cohort, not revenue, profitability or demand for services and experiences. Growth could reflect a small base or promotional acquisition. Local activities may add operational complexity without generating meaningful incremental spending or repeat use.