Airbnb seeks to ‘reinvent’ itself with higher quality listings and offerings ‘beyond accommodation’

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Airbnb is considered one of the world’s most-used rental sites however it’s stirred anger and criticism from tourism boards, residents and travellers in recent times. 

Several destinations have cracked down on the proliferating variety of accommodation rentals including Florence and Barcelona to attempt to stem local housing crises.

Among the company’s marketing stunts have also missed the mark. Most recently, Airbnb offered guests the possibility to be a gladiator in Rome’s Colosseum, which was derided by locals and officials as ‘Disneyfying’ the traditional monument. 

Now, the vacation letting giant is rethinking its strategy including refining the properties on offer and introducing recent experiences. 

Airbnb sees rise in bookings in 2024

Despite the growing concerns over its contribution to overtourism, Airbnb’s popularity continues to grow. 

Bookings in the course of the summer quarter of 2024 rose by eight per cent to 122.8 million in comparison with last yr. 

More holidaymakers are using the app to search out accommodation; the proportion of mobile bookings rose by five per cent this yr. 

The homestay company has been working to enhance its app, with 50 upgrades since October to make it more personalised and accessible to first-time users. 

Airbnb also reported an increase in first-time bookers, particularly younger travellers.

Airbnb ups local payment currency options

Airbnb has attributed a few of its increased bookings to the introduction of more local payment options. 

You may now pay within the local currency of nations including Vietnam, Denmark and Poland.

“While our timing and investment level vary by market, our strategy is consistent: make Airbnb local and relevant,” the corporate said.

“By spring 2025, we expect to supply nearly 40 local payment methods across five continents.

Airbnb removes a whole lot of ‘low quality’ listings

The corporate has also grow to be more selective in its holiday rental offerings. 

It said it had removed over 300,000 “low quality” properties from the location after they failed to fulfill guests’ expectations. 

Travellers’ stories of sub-standard rentals and hosts’ unreasonable cleansing demands often hit the headlines.

Airbnb can be looking for to scale back the variety of cancellations by property hosts. Although this doesn’t occur steadily, the corporate called it a “significant pain point” for guests. 

Airbnb to expand beyond accommodation

Airbnb also announced it will be expanding “beyond accommodation” next yr, even though it didn’t specify details. 

This will relate to the Airbnb experiences offerings which were launched in 2016 but didn’t see great success. These are activities that tourists can enroll to equivalent to local food tours or adventurous excursions. On account of their declining popularity, the corporate halted recent sign-ups for experience hosts last yr. 

Travel website Skift has speculated that Airbnb could relaunch experiences and market them to locals, not only travellers, and incorporate ticket sales for major attractions just like the Louvre. 

Other offerings could also be tied into property rentals by offering at-home experiences like massages or dinners cooked by a non-public chef.