Airbnb is not just a room-booking service anymore. The company launches Trips, a new feature specially designed to make your travels more interesting and unique. With Trips, hosts can also act as tour guides, giving them an opportunity to make some extra cash. CEO Brian Chesky unveiled the feature at an event in Los Angeles which has reportedly been in the works for several years.
The news Trips feature is the company’s effort to go beyond simply house rentals, and give its users a new way to experience their travels. Besides, the feature also gives its hosts another way to make some extra cash on Airbnb’s network.
“Until now, Airbnb has been about homes. Today, Airbnb is launching Trips, bringing together where you stay, what you do, and the people you meet all in one place. We want to make travel magical again by putting people back at the heart of every trip,” said Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky.
Users can book experiences led by locals with expertise in different areas. For instance, they can go for a stargazing trip, get a lesson in surfing from pros, or learn the art of ancient pottery with a renowned Kintsugi master. Trips currently offers users around 500 experiences, and begins in 12 cities which include Los Angeles, San Francisco, Miami, Detroit, Havana, London, Paris, Florence, Nairobi, Cape Town, Tokyo and Seoul.
The company has struck a deal with Detour to offer immersive audio tours, that allow users to discover and find local attractions in a more captivating way. Also ‘Meet ups’ in Places will allow local businesses host events for Airbnb users so they can interact with locals.
Headquartered in San Francisco, California, Airbnb was founded in 2008 by CEO Brian Chesky. It’s a network that allows people to list and rent their residential properties on a short-term basis, and the cost of accommodation is decided by the owner of the property. You can find anything ranging from villas to castles, and even tree houses via Airbnb’s network in over 34,000 cities and 191 countries.
