Australian and New Zealand senior citizens leading the way on Airbnb

500px Photo ID: 147148789 - [NO RELEASE NECESSARY] people looking at lake tahoe

If you think seniors are more likely to stay in a traditional hotel than an Airbnb, we’re about to prove you wrong.

It appears the senior citizens of Australia and New Zealand are some of Airbnb’s biggest fans – both hosting and staying in Airbnb’s everywhere.

In fact, New Zealand seniors are the world’s most active on Airbnb, according to new data from the company.

And globally, guests over 60 are growing faster than any other age group, with the number of seniors booking with Airbnb growing by 66 per cent in the last year alone. As for New Zealanders? The number of kiwi seniors booking on Airbnb grew by over 73 per cent.

The top 10 countries with the highest number of over 60s travelling on Airbnb are:

  1. New Zealand
  2. Australia
  3. Denmark
  4. US
  5. Canada
  6. Iceland
  7. Netherlands
  8. Israel
  9. UK
  10. South Africa

As well as New Zealand seniors being the top of the list on Airbnb, New Zealand as a destination is top of the list for a lot of other senior citizens from around the world. The fastest-growing destinations in New Zealand include:

  1. Kaikoura, Canterbury, NZ – 167 per cent
  2. Lake Tekapo, Canterbury, NZ – 120 per cent
  3. Richmond, Tasman, NZ – 115 per cent
  4. Hanmer Springs, Canterbury, NZ – 109 per cent
  5. Invercargill, Southland, NZ – 108 per cent
  6. Fairlie, Canterbury, NZ – 98 per cent
  7. Palmerston North, Manawatu-Wanganui, NZ – 79 per cent
  8. Timaru, Canterbury, NZ – 77 per cent
  9. Whakatane, Bay of Plenty, NZ – 75 per cent
  10. Oamaru, Otago, NZ – 74 per cent

There are also a ton of senior hosts on Airbnb – there are more than 400,000 hosts over 60, all over the world.

Last year, these hosts made over $2 billion USD via Airbnb, hosting over 13.5 million guests from more than 150 countries.

And in New Zealand, the number of senior hosts has increased by over 23 per cent. There are now almost 7000 senior New Zealanders hosting on Airbnb – and they’ve collectively earnt over $45 million NZD over the last year. Which sounds like a pretty good retirement to us.

New Zealand hosts are also the most loved in the world according to the new Airbnb data. Almost 90 per cent of senior Airbnb hosts in New Zealand received five-star reviews – making them some of the most loved hosts in the world, and the best-rated hosts in New Zealand.

Sam McDonagh, Airbnb country manager for Australia and New Zealand, said that he wasn’t surprised New Zealand seniors were embracing Airbnb.

“With their renowned welcoming hospitality and, as avid world travellers, it’s not surprising that seniors across New Zealand are embracing the home-sharing community.

“As the travel industry continues to grow, Airbnb promotes tourism that is local, authentic, diverse, inclusive, and sustainable, creating new economic opportunities for hosts in the homes and communities where they live,” he said.

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