Airbnb hosts know there’s no place like home – that’s why they open theirs up to people around the world
- Asian Airbnb hosts reveal the highs and lows of welcoming strangers into their homes and the tricks of the trade that ensure the guest list remains full
Airbnb superhost Princess Lou Marzo, 47, says it was her adventure-loving father who convinced her to register their family properties on the online accommodation marketplace in 2016.
The former sailor wanted to bring the multicultural atmosphere he had encountered on his voyages back home to San Fernando, in the Philippine province of La Union, but he didn’t have the patience to answer email inquiries or manage day-to-day business affairs. Those chores would fall to his daughter.
They had converted the two homes behind their own into homestays in 2014, but after registering with Airbnb, their client list grew.
“Since then, we’ve encountered diverse clients from all provinces of the Philippines and around the world,” says Marzo.
It took time for the concept of throwing open one’s home to strangers to take root. Today, with more than 6 million listings around the world, Airbnb’s expansion in emerging markets such as the Philippines has helped the company to finally become profitable.
