Airbnb report shows Latin & Hispanic communities remain a significant force in U.S. travel

U.S. Latin & Hispanic travelers are expected to take 10% more leisure trips YOY, contributing an estimated $165 billion to the U.S. economy by 2025.

MIAMI, FL, UNITED STATES, September 12, 2024 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The Latin & Hispanic community is shaping the future of the U.S. economy, particularly in the travel industry. According to the first “U.S. Latin & Hispanic Traveler Report,” which integrates data from a survey commissioned by Airbnb and Airbnb’s own data on U.S. guests who selected Spanish as their primary language. It shows that Latin & Hispanic travelers are set to take 10% more leisure trips each year, spending US$180 more per trip YOY and representing an estimated economic impact of around US$165 billion in 2025. This underscores the importance of this group, which represents nearly 20% of the total U.S. population and is expected to exceed $2.5 trillion in spending power by 2025.

The report revealed that 54% of Latin & Hispanic travelers consider Airbnb or short-term rentals for leisure trips, compared to 42% of non-Hispanics. Additionally, the platform reported that Airbnb guests who chose Spanish as their primary language in the U.S. grew by 32% in 2023.

“We are encouraged to see U.S. Latin & Hispanic travelers embracing Airbnb and increasing their presence within our community," said Dave Stephenson, Chief Business Officer, Airbnb. "We've seen Latin & Hispanic travelers are more likely to travel with family, and in response have continued to invest in making family travel on the platform easy and seamless. Listening to the needs of our community and continuing to innovate is crucial for us as we grow and earn more trust from our guests, including those within the vibrant Latin & Hispanic community.”

Key Findings

Family bonds are fuel for traveling. Visiting family is the top reason for travel for 61% of U.S. Latin & Hispanic travelers, and Airbnb data shows that 50% of bookings by U.S. guests who chose Spanish as their primary language were for groups, compared to 40% of bookings made by other U.S. travelers. To facilitate this, Airbnb introduced new features last May to make planning a group trip easier, including shared wishlists, a new message tab, and trip invitations.

Social media, pop culture, and big events are inspiring travel. 53% of U.S. Latin & Hispanic travelers said they use social media to plan travel (7% more than non-Hispanics), and 28% are inspired by travel influencers (7% more than non-Hispanics). In terms of pop culture, 46% of U.S. Latin & Hispanic travelers list Las Vegas as their most desired destination. During the last few years the city has not only launched new attractions, but also attracted more Latin & Hispanic celebrities.

Cultural ties influence travel destinations. Latin & Hispanic travelers expressed significantly higher interest in traveling to Latin America than non-Hispanics. This is driven by 74% prioritizing the destination’s culture and 76% expressing interest in traveling to Latin America to connect with their culture. Airbnb data shows that 38% of U.S. travelers who selected Spanish as their primary language traveled to Latin America in 2023 — five times more than the rest of U.S. travelers.

Supporting the U.S. Latin & Hispanic Community

As part of Airbnb’s commitment to building a global community where people of all backgrounds, identities, and experiences feel welcome, it is proud to support the Latin & Hispanic community. This long-standing work includes partnering with organizations such as The Hispanic Wealth Project and Hispanics in Wine to introduce people to hosting through the Airbnb Entrepreneurship Academy, as well as supporting organizations working to strengthen Latin & Hispanic communities, like Casa Latina, through the Airbnb Community Fund.

About Airbnb

Airbnb was born in 2007 when two hosts welcomed three guests to their San Francisco home, and has since grown to over 5 million hosts who have welcomed over 1.5 billion guest arrivals in almost every country across the globe. Every day, hosts offer unique stays and experiences that make it possible for guests to connect with communities in a more authentic way.

Sandra Ramos
LLYC
sandra.ramos@llyc.global