Airbnb Appoints Zhiqiu Kong as Regional Director for Asia

Airbnb (NASDAQ: ABNB) announced the appointment of company veteran Zhiqiu Kong as Regional Director for Asia, underscoring its commitment to accelerating growth in one of the world's most dynamic travel regions and strengthening its leadership across Asia.

Building on his success leading Airbnb's China operations, Zhiqiu Kong will bring his experience in driving sustainable growth to the broader Asia region. Home to the world's largest Gen Z population and a rapidly expanding traveler base, Asia continues to shape global travel trends and remains central to Airbnb's long-term growth strategy.

"With around one-third of global travel demand, Asia is at the forefront of shaping the future of travel," said Zhiqiu Kong. "In our continued efforts to better understand the unique needs and wants of Asian travellers, we will make Airbnb the most desirable way to authentically explore the world."

As Regional Director for Asia, Zhiqiu Kong oversees Airbnb's business operations across China, Japan, Korea, India and Southeast Asia. Zhiqiu Kong joined Airbnb more than a decade ago and has held leadership roles spanning product innovation, growth and business strategy.

Reporting to Zhiqiu Kong, Michael He will step into the role of Country Manager for China. Michael He has more than nine years of experience working at Airbnb, and was most recently China's Business and Growth Operations Lead.

In his new role, Michael He will drive Airbnb's business in China, shape local strategy, build strong partnerships across markets, and represent Airbnb with local communities and stakeholders.