HomeAway claims a surge in vacation rentals from Asian markets

HomeAway property in Tokyo

Vacation rental platform HomeAway claimed inbound site traffic from Asian markets surged an average of 133 per cent between July 2016 and June 2017, with the increase in top growth markets of Japan and Taiwan driven by domestic travellers.

The data was based on traffic from Singapore, Malaysia, Japan, Hong Kong and Taiwan, which respectively saw growth of 66 per cent, 99 per cent, 214 per cent, 122 per cent and 163 per cent.

HomeAway property in Tokyo

HomeAway said Asian travellers opting for vacation rental on average book accommodation 27.2 days in advance, travel in a group of 3.4, and stayed 2.53 nights.

Notably, Malaysians tended to travel in the largest group sizes, averaging 4.85 guests per stay, far exceeding the Asian average of 3.4 guests per stay.

Across Asia, travellers from Hong Kong planned their holidays furthest ahead, booking 45.4 days before their holidays, about 40 per cent longer than the regional average of 27.2 days.

Staycations were least popular among Hongkongers, with only 13 per cent of bookings made for domestic travel, compared to the regional average of 60 per cent.

Domestic holiday rentals were most popular among Taiwanese travellers who booked trips on HomeAway, with a whopping 94 per cent traveling domestically.

Turning to the Japan market, smaller groups (2.64 persons) were observed compared to the regional average of 3.4 persons. As with the Taiwanese, Japanese travellers who booked trips on HomeAway tended to travel domestically (71 per cent).

Meanwhile in Singapore, top destinations booked included Taiwan, Japan and Malaysia.

Jude Davidson, head of marketing, HomeAway Asia, said the numbers came as no surprise considering that home rentals meet the needs of families and larger groups of travellers. “Travellers are discovering that, for often the same cost as a hotel stay, you are likely to get far more space and amenities like kitchens and private pools, all without compromising your privacy,” she added.

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