Airbnb said the limited movement of people has spawned a new trend in travelling using its platform: people want to be more flexible and are staying longer in a wider range of destinations.
These findings were revealed yesterday in a briefing by Brian Chesky, co-founder and chief of Airbnb, where he also unveiled over a hundred upgrades across the platform’s entire service for Filipino Hosts and guests.
For guests, Airbnb said Filipinos are turning to Airbnb for affordable and family-friendly domestic travel, as shown by its survey results which said 62 percent of guests stayed in an Airbnb listing with their family in 2020.
For Hosts, listing and hosting in Airbnb help support themselves and their local communities during the pandemic.
In the same survey, 57 percent of Airbnb Hosts said the income they have earned through hosting has helped them to stay in their homes, and over half said they want to find more ways to host with Airbnb.
Airbnb launched a new 10-step process to become a Host that will give better support for Hosts and guests.
Airbnb also launched three new ways to search on the platform – Flexible Dates, Flexible Matching and Flexible Destinations.
Additional upgrades for guests include faster checkout process, arrival guide ,updated reviews and clearer cancellations. Additional upgrades for Hosts include All-new Today tab (centralized home base), new welcome to hosting page, inbox improvements and dedicated Superhost support.
In the Philippines, Airbnb has also launched seven Host Clubs across the country, based in Cebu, Baguio, Metro Manila, Rizal, Western Visayas, Lapu Lapu and Quezon. Host Clubs are Host-led networks of Airbnb Hosts, guests, small business owners and local community leaders.
