AIRBNB Plus is poised to expand in China, as a growing number of independent travelers seek home-sharing to enjoy more local experiences, and many are demanding more from hosts.

A report by the State Information Center reveals that the trade size of home-sharing listings in China reached about 16.5 billion yuan (US$2.4 billion) in 2018, a 37.5 percent increase over 2017. Chinese hosts were young and well educated. Most are women.

In February 2018, home-sharing platform Airbnb debuted Airbnb Plus — the brand’s highest-quality accommodations for guests looking for well-decorated and cozy places with exceptional hosts.

Its data show that the 10 markets with the most Airbnb Plus listings are Los Angeles, Cape Town, Rome, Melbourne, London, Sydney, Shanghai, Austin, the Bali Islands and Toronto. The number of Airbnb Plus listings has grown by 800 percent globally, from 2,000 to over 15,000.

The company has launched Airbnb Plus in 164 cities worldwide, including 13 in China, such as Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou. In 2019, it’s planning to expand Airbnb Plus to over 700 cities globally, including over 30 Chinese cities. “We’re evaluating which Chinese cities we’re expanding in this year and, most likely, beyond first-tier cities as well,” says Airbnb Plus’ vice-president, Vlad Loktev.

He doesn’t reveal the number of Airbnb Plus listings in China but says China represented 20 percent of global Airbnb Plus bookings in 2018.

Airbnb Plus listings received nine times more online views than normal listings, and their booking rate has increased by 70 percent, according to a global survey by Airbnb.

To attract more people to become Airbnb Plus hosts, the platform has a capital program to help those who don’t have enough money to improve their homes, and an interior-design program to teach hosts about decoration. Airbnb Plus Host University was launched in China last year to allow Airbnb hosts share experiences face to face. (China Daily)