Airbnb Asia Leadership Reshuffle: Kong Zhiqiu Appointed Asia Head

TravelDaily China learned that in April 2026, Kong Zhiqiu, who had long served as Airbnb's China business head, formally assumed the role of Asia business head, overseeing overall strategy and business development across China, Japan, South Korea, India, and Southeast Asia. Kong has been with Airbnb for over ten years and was one of the early members of the China team. In September 2026, Airbnb announced via internal letter that China growth head He Changhua would become China business head, continuing to report to Kong. Kong said about one-third of global travel demand comes from Asia. WTTC data shows that in 2025, Asia-Pacific tourism contributed $3.29 trillion to GDP, up about 8.1% year…