Airbnb announced over 100 new features to get business rolling again after the pandemic. Here's what's changing.
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Yesterday, Airbnb announced 100+ new features, including more flexibility for guests to search dates, destinations, and listings.
But many of the biggest upgrades were saved for hosts:
- Listing a new property was simplified from dozens of steps to 10.
- 2x the number of support agents.
- Artificial intelligence systems will recommend names, descriptions, and the best photos to use. (Pro tip: Guests want to see the bed, not artsy shots of the credenza.)
Many of these features will take a few months to implement, but Airbnb is running short on time. And hosts. Although it has 5.4 million active listings, that will not be enough for what CEO Brian Chesky describes as a "once-in-a-century travel rebound."
- In Q1, Airbnb reported 64+ million booked nights and experiences, up 13% annually.
- A quarter of trips were long-term stays (28 days or more).
Zoom out: Chesky admitted that Airbnb hasn't been doing enough to help hosts, many of whom the company angered at the start of the pandemic when it allowed guests to cancel bookings and receive a full refund.
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