Travel experiences have changed a lot since the pandemic began. Coupled with work from home routines, vacations are not simply vacations anymore. People are now looking for more wholesome experiences where they get to enjoy everything that a vacation offers without breaking away from their daily life. It is not a surprise then that companies like Airbnb were quick to adapt to these demands and offer everything in a platter.
Keeping in mind wholesome experiences, Airbnb has rolled out more than a hundred changes. For instance, the company is offering flexible durations. Guests can look for weekend getaways to month-long stays. Airbnb is offering flexible matching that will show listings outside a specified search. While the arrival guide will show all the arrival information guests need, including directions and Wi-Fi, in one place, the faster checkout process will enable guests to make their first reservation in a breezy manner.
The company has upgraded its filter menu, and refreshed its maps and geo-filters. It has added seasonally-aware filters that will show guests if a seasonal activity can be enjoyed at a particular time. New inclusive experiences would highlight activities designed to be inclusive of the disability community. Experience Hosts can also offer free pricing for caregivers assisting guests with disabilities.
The app will also help you plan your experiences during a trip, or find a stay near a special location such as waterfall or winery.
Airbnb will also make it easier to be a host with features like calculating the estimated price of the stay you are offering, auto arranging photos, description starter, online classes by Superhosts, alerting hosts of something important, streamline reviews and much more.
The app has extended its support from 11 languages to 42 languages, offers localised emergency service information for fire, police, and EMT in most regions.
During Airbnb's earnings call, co-founder and CEO Brian Chesky said, "People can now travel any time. People are also traveling everywhere. They're not just going to the same 20 or 30 cities. They're visiting smaller cities, towns, and rural communities. And when people do travel, they're staying longer. 24% of our nights booked in Q1 were for stays of 28 nights or longer. People are not just traveling in Airbnb, they're now living on Airbnb."
Chesky said that these preferences are not going away any time soon. He added that the world is not going back to the way it was and hence travel too is not going back to as it was before.