New article: Airbnb Plans increasing presence in China read more at here http://www.spinonews.com/index.php/world/item/3070-airbnb-plans-increasing-presence-in-china

Rapid growth in Chinese travel sector is point of attraction for many companies. Airbnb has its presence in China since 2013. Now playing its cards on Chinese travel sector, San Francisco based Airbnb announced its plan on Wednesday to increase its presence with a new name ‘Aibiying’ which means ‘Welcome each other with Love’.

The present focus of Airbnb has been on outbound travelers coming from China. But now it is planning to invest to concentrate on travel within China by both Chinese and international tourists as well as expanding offerings for the increasing numbers of Chinese seeking to explore the world.

China’s travel and tourism sector is expected to grow by 7% each year for the next ten years. By 2026 it will underpin around 10% of the total Chinese economy and almost 100 million jobs, according to the World Travel and Tourism Council.

Airbnb’s present listings within China which stands around 80,000 have been visited by almost 1.6 million guests, as per company statement.

Henry Harteveldt, founder of Atmosphere Research Group, a San Francisco-based travel industry research company mentioned, “Airbnb is smart to pursue expansion in China because as its middle class grows and as both rail and air travel make intercity access easier and more affordable, more people will want to travel and be able to travel.”

 

Airbnb plans to triple fold its workforce in China and add round the clock customer support. It also plans to start its Trips service in Shanghai. Chinese travelers offer an increasingly important market for Airbnb outside of China. Already more than 5.3 million Chinese have stayed at Airbnb listings worldwide, the company said.