As Malaysia looks to reopen domestic travel in the coming months, Airbnb continues to steadily navigate the COVID-19 pandemic with hundreds of new local Hosts joining the platform in the first six months of 2021.

Over 60% of new Airbnb Hosts in H1 2021 comprised millennials aged between 25-40. The top five states where these new Hosts were based are Selangor, Kuala Lumpur, Johor, Sabah, and Penang. Amidst the stop-start nature of Movement Control Order regulations from January to June, new Airbnb Hosts collectively earned over RM680,000 from welcoming guests on Airbnb*.

This data follows Airbnb’s recent global announcement of more than 100 new upgrades across the platform, including making it easier to start hosting. Based on a Q1 2021 survey conducted by Airbnb, a third of Malaysian Hosts polled said the money earned through Airbnb provided an additional source of revenue for the household, and helped them stay afloat and fight costs of living during the pandemic**.

“2021 has undoubtedly proved challenging as the pandemic continues to impact Malaysian livelihoods, businesses and the broader economy. Hosting has offered many an additional source of income during a time of financial strain, providing economic empowerment for these new hosts,” said Amanpreet Bajaj, Airbnb’s General Manager for Southeast Asia, India, Hong Kong and Taiwan.

“As the conversation turns towards the return of travel, it is crucial that guest and Host safety remains Airbnb’s top priority. Last year, we implemented the 5-step Enhanced Clean process, a set of cleaning and sanitisation standards that were developed in partnership with experts and endorsed by the Malaysian Medical Association (MMA) to ensure peace of mind for our community. We remain fully committed to supporting Malaysia’s tourism recovery efforts, and we continue working hard to find new ways to drive clean and safe travel,” he added.