Increasingly, young Indians are also opening their homes to travellers, with Airbnb reporting nearly 40% year-on-year growth in its Gen Z host community during the first half of 2026. India’s Gen Z is changing more than the way it travels.
With my mother’s encouragement, I turned our unused first floor into a space for guests. Hosting on Airbnb has allowed me to turn my love for creating warm, welcoming spaces into work, while giving me the flexibility to spend more time with my family, travel and explore my interest in sustainable tourism. For travellers, the shift could mean more accommodation choices outside traditional tourist centres. For young hosts, it offers another way to turn unused spaces and local knowledge into an income source.
Shreya, a Gen Z Airbnb host from Dehradun, said; “The idea for hosting came when I moved back to Dehradun and began appreciating our home in a completely new way, the garden, the quiet and the sense of comfort it offered. Amanpreet Singh Bajaj, Country Head, Airbnb India and Southeast Asia, said: “India’s Gen Z is redefining what it means to participate in travel, not just as travellers, but increasingly as hosts and entrepreneurs.
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