Alternative Accommodations in Southeast Asia

This brief shows how bookings for non-hotel rooms via platforms such as Airbnb have soared in Southeast Asia and why stronger regulation can help maintain quality standards, increase tax revenue, and maximize local economic benefits.

The brief explains that while up to 55 percent of room supply in Cambodia, Indonesia, Thailand, Lao PDR, Viet Nam, and the Philippines is now in alternative accommodations such as homestays and villas, regulation is still limited. It outlines why measures to implement safety and quality standards, ensure fair competition, and minimize the impact on local housing are important to help manage this fast-growing sector.

First published in ADB.org.