Digital Travel Sales Boom in HK, China

Data from eMarketer and Airbnb is showing digital travel sales are booming this year in Hong Kong and throughout the Asia-Pacific region. New York based research firm eMarketer have indicated a 20%+ boost in sales from mainland China, as Chinese travellers increasingly take to the web for unique travel experiences.

The data also predicts that the Asia-Pacific region will become the worlds largest market for digital travel sales, surpassing North America in value this year. Chinese tours remain popular with mainlanders but other methods of travel are becoming more and more widespread, with home-sharing websites, local tour guides and unique experiences all getting a boost; particularly those that cater specifically to Chinese speakers.

Hong Kong has long been a travel hub and with Airbnb listing growth set to hit 120% this year in the local market alone, hotels and accommodation providers seem set to cash in on the increase in traveller numbers. The strength of the dollar here in Hong Kong has meant  that it it an increasingly expensive destination for mainland tourists; however with alternate accommodation options and a rising cost of living in most Chinese cities,travellers to Hong Kong don’t seem overly troubled.

Airhome HK is an Airbnb management service based in Hong Kong, if you’re interested in listing your property on Airbnb visit AirhomeHK.com

 

Is Airbnb legal in Hong Kong?

Hardly a day goes by when I don’t get an email asking about the legality  of Airbnb in Hong Kong. Is it legal, illegal or some kind of grey area? We know that Airbnb use is exploding in Hong Kong, with tens of thousands of homeowners and savvy entrepreneurs using it as a secondary source of income in what is an already numbingly-expensive city. Surely they can’t all be breaking the law?

As it stands, the Hong Kong Hotel and Guesthouse Accommodation Ordinance has not updated their laws to the current climate. A quick call to their information hotline tells you that it is illegal to operate a guesthouse for periods of less than 30 days rent without a guesthouse licence. A guesthouse licence, to those unfamiliar, is a licence to operate a hotel and regulates fire exits, minimum corridor space, food safety and a host of other criteria clearly intended for legitimate hotels. But surely letting out your apartment while you’re on holiday is not the same as operating an shady guesthouse?

The reality is that people are voting with their wallets and making the existing laws unenforcable and outdated. Other countries around the world have seen that homesharing is not going anywhere anytime soon and adjusted their property laws to allow for this. There are thousands of listings currently available on Airbnb.com’s Hong Kong site, from gigantic villas in Repulse Bay to poky one beds in Sham Shui (and even a few boats thrown in). Enforcement is also an issue for the authorities as  Airbnb listings do not provide a precice address until a guest has paid for the stay. Many in the legislative council have also argued that Airbnb encourages micro-entrepeneurship and alleviates the deepening hotel shortage in Hong Kong.

For the average host they can be reasonably assured that the authorities will not care much about their operation on Airbnb. There exists, however, savvy commercial hosts who operate many properties in the city. Recently an Airbnb host was revealed by a local news investigation to operate 22 properties on airbnb, earning them $190,000 per month income letting out properties to tourists. Such figures are apparently quite common in a fast-paced market like Hong Kong with so many international visitors.

It seems, then, that Airbnb is here to stay and the Hong Kong government will just have to get used to it. There may come a time in the not-so-distant future when hosts may have to even pay taxes or charges in order to let out their homes. For now though, it seems that the numbers using the site speak volumes and the authorities will just have to get used to it. Remember that Airhome HK will evaluate and list your property for FREE if it is your first time using Airbnb! We are launching our company in July and will be providing management services to anyone wishing to let out their home in Hong Kong.

Avoiding Airbnb host fatigue

As Airbnb becomes more and more widespread more and more people have found it an easy and convenient way to make extra money from their home. However, washing sheets for the fourth or fifth time in a week can be tiring in the long haul. As indeed can the back-and-forth messaging that your guests require and that is necessary for guest-host compatibility.

What to do? A lot of hosts take weeks or months off Airbnb due to time constraints or other commitments, wasting time when they could be earning money from an empty place.

Time then, for the professional hosting service to step into the void. In cities around the world Airbnb management services have sprung up to fill the gap of Hosts who want to host but either cant or are willing to give up a slice of the nightly rate in order to have a hand-off approach to renting out their place. Many people use these services not just for convenience but also for practicality. By using pricing algorithms and research, they can optimise your listing and adjust it for peak points throughout the calendar, earning you even more than you  could on your own. AirhomeHK will be operating soon in Hong Kong, watch this space!

 

 

 

How Airbnb is exploding in Asia

Tokyo, Hong Kong, London, New York…..Airbnb is exploding around the world and has been doing so for a number of years. Posting exponential growth year on year is not an easy feat, but in the sharing economy anything can happen. With its origins in the San Francisco bay area, Airbnb has become overnight one of the biggest accommodation providers worldwide; all without owning or leasing a single property. Sharing has become a buzzword not just for convenience and comfort in the travel industry, but increasingly for its lucrative aspects.

However it has taken some time for Airbnb to achieve listing values outside of their home in liberal, connected San Francisco. How can Airbnb sell its idea of sharing to security-conscious homeowners in Hong Kong, Tokyo, Singapore and indeed throughout Asia?

Many new property management companies have sprung up to fill this gap. Don’t feel like leaving your keys to a stranger? Allow your door to be fitted with a lock box for the key or even better; an electronic code lock that only gives a guest access for their allotted time. Let someone else take care of the sheets, towels and trash collection for your home while you earn money. You can also make sure all guests are screened before they stay, a common prerequisite is to make sure their profile has at least 1-2 positive guest reviews by previous hosts.

In Hong Kong the number of listings on Airbnb have doubled in the course of 12 months. Earnings are up and with companies like Zens in Tokyo, AirHomeHK in Hong Kong and AfterYou in Singapore; its now easier than ever. Take the leap and be a part of the sharing revolution!

 

Is using Airbnb management worthwhile?

As Airbnb continues to explode in popularity across the world, many people have found it as a great way to let out a room in their home, or their entire home itself. Millions of people searching for a unique rental experience have created a market that is scarcely being met by current supply, particularly in global hubs such as New York, London and Hong Kong. Give up that second job and let out your room or apartment for the weekend!

And while hosting is great and full of excitement, it can be hard work. Checking guests in and out, responding to their queries and online messages, changing linen and cleaning your home, all these tasks can add up. Not to mention the pressure of maintaining a professional listing with photos that don’t make your home look like a dimly-lit cave (harder than it seems) and also responding to guests online! Airbnb’s algorithm places hosts that respond quickly to questions higher in the search listings, meaning more attentive hosts earn more money. Ching Ching.

As hosts grapple with all these things, a new breed of property management has sprung up to take care of all these details. These startups take care of the listings, including taking professional photos, responding to guests and looking after the guests once they’ve landed. Most companies even brag that their service pays for itself, as your new optimised listing brings in 10%-30% more revenue than by doing it yourself, more than paying for their management fee.

Other services such as cleaning, linen and check ins are also possible, meaning you can peacefully leave your home and return to a clean place with a cheque waiting for you.

Check out the websites below for my list of top Airbnb management services in your city!

 

• Hong Kong – AirHomeHK
• London – GuestButler
• New York – Proprly
• Dublin – BmyGuest
• Dubai – Easyguest
• Miami/ LA – PillowHomes
• Paris – Hosteys
• Sydney – UrbanKeyz
• Tokyo – Zens

Let your guests enter your home remotely

A new generation of smart locks is allowing hosts to give their guests access to their home from anywhere in the world.

Lockitron have developed a smart lock that allows you to give temporary access to any guest with a smartphone, all they have to do is download an app. After check out time, they wont have access to the property, which is great for security conscious hosts.

In the event of a problem, you can even recall the time a guest entered or left the property, making hosting remotely possible for the first time. Airbnb is allowing  a new generation of homeowners the ultimate flexibility on letting their home!

 

 

Make money on Airbnb without lifting a finger

Want to let out your HK home but don’t want the hassle of having to check in guests, look after them and maintain a host  Airbnb listing?

AirHomeHK is a new Airbnb management service launching soon in Hong Kong that takes the stress and hassle out of letting your home. Fresh linen, welcome baskets, key exchange and 24/7 customer support for your guests, all from 10% of your listing fee.

Maximise your income by using our analytics service to find the optimal price point for your listing. Know when to increase or decrease your listing rate to maximise occupancy, earning you 15-30% more income!

Let our professional cleaners take care of all your cleaning and linen needs. Fresh crisp sheets and towels. Spotlessly clean home. All without lifting a finger.

Good hosts make more money. Let us take care of all your hosting needs, from key exchanges with the guest to 24/7 multilingual support. A better feedback rate puts your listing nearer the top of the search results and means more guests for you at a higher nightly rate.

A service pays for itself, while you put your feet up. Using our analytics and customer  support service, you can guarantee a serviced listing that will earn you more with much less hassle.

Flexibility. Out of town one week a month? No problem, our flexibility means that your place is available for guests only when you’re not there. Listings can be available from as little as 5 days a month.Take that vacation you wanted to go on, and let your listing pay for it!

Questions about our upcoming service? We’d love to hear from you –

Contact – info@AirHomeHK.com

First post

Woo Hoo!