Category Archives: Travel Apps

Travel Apps

Airbnb introduces 50+ product upgrades and innovations to support Live Anywhere travel revolution

In May, Airbnb introduced the Airbnb 2021 Release, with over 100 upgrades to improve every aspect of the Airbnb service. Today, the company announces an additional 50+ upgrades that make it easier to host and support the changing needs of travelers.

From March 2020 to September 2021, new Airbnb Hosts in the Philippines who started hosting post-pandemic collectively earned over PHP207.5 million from welcoming guests on Airbnb. The world is undergoing a revolution in how we live and work. Technologies like Zoom make it possible to work from home, and Airbnb makes it possible to work from any home. This newfound flexibility is bringing about a revolution in how Filipinos travel. In a new YouGov poll commissioned by Airbnb*, over 70% of Filipinos polled said that staying in home-sharing type accommodation provides them with amenities that make it easier to integrate living with travel, and allows them to experience more unique, one-of-a-kind travel in local communities.

The survey also revealed:

9 out of 10 Filipino respondents would like to work, live or travel differently if they had more flexibility at work.
A third of Filipino respondents see travel as a way of life and want to integrate it into their lifestyle.
77% of Filipino respondents view post-pandemic ‘business travel’ as a way to combine leisure travel and remote work.
45% of Filipino respondents would rent out their homes and travel.

Airbnb is constantly improving its service to meet these new travel trends, and the new waves of guests they will bring. Today, Airbnb is introducing:

I’m (even more) Flexible – Search for more unique homes up to 12 months in advance.
Verified Wifi – Our new speed test tool verifies the speed of the wifi in a listing.
Translation Engine – The most advanced translation technology ever offered to our community.
Accessibility Review – Every accessibility feature is reviewed for 100% accuracy.
Smarter Trips Tab – A redesigned Trips tab with all your must-have travel details.
AirCover – Top-to-bottom protection. Free for every Host. Only on Airbnb.
Ask a Superhost Expansion – Connects new Hosts to a Superhost in their area for 1:1 help.

and 46 more upgrades.

“For Airbnb, 2021 has been a year of relentless innovation to refine our core service,” said Brian Chesky, CEO and Co-Founder of Airbnb. “This year, we’ve delivered more than 150 upgrades and innovations. Our design-driven approach means that we’re constantly improving our service to adapt to this changing world. For the first time ever, millions of people can now travel anytime, anywhere, for any length, and even live anywhere on Airbnb. This is a travel revolution.”

Making Travel even more Flexible

Flexibility is one of the most important considerations for Filipinos when it comes to travel planning. Based on Airbnb’s YouGov polling, over a third of all Filipinos polled want to have flexibility in when, how and where they go as travel rebounds.

More are opting to go on flexible trips, including long weekend trips, off-peak travel and vacations closer to home. Notably, the most appealing destinations for respondents’ first trips are 1) a local beach destination within the Philippines, followed by 2) a destination within Asia and 3) a local city destination.

Earlier this year, Airbnb introduced I’m Flexible, a whole new way to search on Airbnb when guests are flexible about where or when they are traveling. Since then, guests have used I’m Flexible more than 500 million times. Due to the popularity of this feature, today Airbnb is making it even more flexible by expanding the date range guests can search to 12 months out (from six).

With workations on the rise, fast and reliable wifi has also been more critical than ever before. In fact, this year guests on Airbnb have used the wifi filter more than 288 million times. Hosts can now test their listing’s internet connection from the Airbnb app and have their wifi speed verified. With this upgrade, guests can be confident that they won’t miss a Zoom or a favorite streaming show from their Airbnbs.

Improved Translations across 60 Languages

Globally, Airbnb has seen cross-border travel increasing steadily through the year, from 20% of gross nights booked in the first quarter to 27% in the second and 33% in the third***. As cross-border travel returns, Airbnb’s new Translation Engine will provide a seamless experience for Hosts and guests in over 60 languages. Translation Engine removes the need for click-to-translate buttons by automatically translating listing descriptions and reviews. Based on results from a study across our top ten languages we commissioned by a top machine translation evaluation company, Translation Engine improves the quality of more than 99% of Airbnb listings.

Supporting more Accessible and Organised Travel

With Accessibility Review, Airbnb has developed an industry-leading approach to review the accuracy of features that make Airbnb homes more accessible for the disability community. Hosts simply submit photos of their accessibility features, which are then manually reviewed by a specialized team of Airbnb agents. To date, Airbnb agents have reviewed and confirmed the accuracy of 100,000 accessibility features in 25,000 homes around the world.

We’ve also redesigned the Trips tab to house all your must-have travel info in one convenient place. The smarter, more intuitive tab now features a handy countdown to your arrival, check-in details, current and upcoming reservations, and personalized Experiences suggestions.

Empowering Hosts more than Ever

More guests than ever before are choosing to stay in an Airbnb, which is leading to more people wanting to host to take advantage of this growing opportunity. To offer even more reassurance to our existing four million Hosts, and make it even easier for new Hosts to take that first big step, today we are introducing AirCover. Only Airbnb gives you AirCover, which provides top-to-bottom protection for every Airbnb Host with US$1 million in damage protection and US$1 million in liability coverage. AirCover also includes income loss protection, pet damage protection, deep cleaning protection, and more.

For prospective Hosts, Airbnb’s Ask a Superhost matches anyone interested in hosting with one of our most experienced Hosts for one-on-one helpSince launch, more than 60,000 prospective Hosts have used Ask a Superhost. Today, we’re expanding Ask a Superhost to over 30 languages in 196 countries, including the Philippines. Prospective Hosts can now be paired with Superhosts based on their location, language, and listing. As an added benefit, Superhosts can provide tips for completing a listing page and are there for you through your first booking.

AirCover, Accessibility Review, Verified Wifi, I’m (even more) Flexible, and Ask a Superhost Expansion are all available to everyone today. Translation Engine and Smarter Trips Tab will launch before the end of this year.

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Travel, Travel Apps

Airbnb encourages Pinoys to #TravelAsJuan, as travel searches surge for beachside and nature destinations near Metro Manila

Airbnb today launched its new #TravelAsJuan campaign that aims to energize the Philippines’s tourism recovery throughout the remainer of 2021 and beyond. As part of the campaign, the company is encouraging Filipinos to rediscover their country with their loved ones, while celebrating unique stays and hidden gems across the nation. The #TravelAsJuan campaign also aligns with the Department of Tourism’s 2022 plan to rebuild a sustainable, resilient, and inclusive domestic tourism industry

Responding to the Department of Tourism’s call for Filipinos to become “Ambassadors of Fun”, Airbnb’s #TravelAsJuan will work closely with its community of #AirbnbJuanderers including Filipino Hosts and local content creators. They will shine a light on the country’s off-the-beaten-path destinations, from lesser-known beaches to mountainous getaways and farms, as well as tips for safer travel. The campaign will kickstart by highlighting destinations where intra- and inter-state travel are currently allowed, and expand to cover more destinations as more cities and provinces reopen.

Airbnb is already seeing surging interest in domestic stays as Filipinos look forward to traveling with the platform once more, following the recent easing of travel restrictions. In September, searches for Airbnb Stays in Zambales spiked by over 100% month-over-month* after the government announced travel rules allowing Metro Manila residents to travel to areas under more relaxed quarantine rules. In the same period, searches for Airbnb Stays in Batangas and Tagaytay also almost doubled month-over-month*.

Beachside and nature destinations, especially locations within driving distance of Metro Manila, remain popular among Filipinos. Zambales and Batangas, both popular for their beaches and coves, along with nature-based destinations Tagaytay, Pampanga, and Baguio, are currently the top five trending destinations among Filipino guests on Airbnb. This follows key findings from a YouGov survey conducted earlier in the year, which found that Filipinos want to travel to nature retreats and places within driving distance once they can get back on the road.

The easing of travel restrictions has spurred Filipinos to quickly plan for upcoming trips with their family and loved ones. While Filipino guests on Airbnb are largely searching for Stays with a duration of 1-6 nights, there is a growing trend towards longer domestic getaways of one week and longer, to make up for the past year spent at home. Larger family-friendly Stays are also increasing in popularity, as Filipino guest searches for villas and bed-and-breakfasts spiked by more than 50% month-over-month*.

As Filipinos eagerly make their travel plans, Gen Zs and Millennials who make up 68% of Airbnb’s community of new Hosts who came onboard the platform in the first half of this year are looking forward to welcoming fellow Pinoys into their homes**.

Amanpreet Bajaj, General Manager for India, Southeast Asia, Hong Kong, and Taiwan, Airbnb shares: “Filipinos are eagerly anticipating the return of domestic travel, and search trends on Airbnb indicate a strong, positive uptick in travel sentiment as restrictions ease. With our wide variety of unique stays hosted by locals across the Philippines, Airbnb offers something for everyone through our #TravelasJuan campaign, which highlights the wonderful places, experiences and communities that make the Philippines such an incredible place to experience for both locals and visitors alike. Airbnb is committed to being a good partner to the government to rejuvenate the country’s tourism sector; and help drive travel that is more diverse, resilient, and empowering for more people and communities than ever before.”

Safety remains a priority

Health and safety remain a top priority for travelers as they search for upcoming travel accommodation. To that end, Airbnb introduced the Enhanced Clean protocol in June last year, the first overarching standardized guidelines for cleaning and sanitization in the home-sharing industry. Endorsed by the World Travel and Tourism Council, the protocol helps guide Hosts across the Philippines to provide safer and cleaner accommodation for guests.

Airbnb also recently announced a partnership with global provider Sherpa, an online tool that provides travelers with real-time travel information on their destinations. Travelers can access information on COVID-19 related requirements including testing, quarantining and social distancing guidelines. This will help guests plan their trips more effectively as they continue to navigate the ever-changing landscape of COVID-19 regulations.

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