Airbnb unveils plan to go mainstream and bring magical travel to everyone

AirBnB unveils a plan today to broaden its mainstream travel appeal with a roadmap consisting of: new property types, new tiers, Airbnb Collections and community recognition. Airbnb Collections and community recognition form key elements of a Roadmap launched today to bring the benefits of local and authentic travel to everyone.

Airbnb is one of the world’s largest accommodation platforms with 4.5 million places to stay in 81,000 cities and 192 countries. Over the last 10 years, Airbnb hosts earned more than $41bn and guests have checked into an Airbnb more than 300 million times. Airbnb today unveils a Roadmap for its core Homes business that is designed to bring the transformative benefits of local, personal and authentic travel to every type of traveler. The Roadmap includes:

• Four new property types – Vacation Home, Unique, B&B and Boutiques (in addition to existing Entire Home, Private Room and Shared Space)
• New tiers – Airbnb Plus and Beyond by Airbnb
• Airbnb Collections – homes perfectly suited to every occasion
• Investing back in its community with a revamped Superhost program and a new guest membership program launching later this year

Airbnb Co-Founder, CEO and Head of Community, Brian Chesky said, “10 years ago we never dreamed of what Airbnb could become. In fact, people thought the idea that strangers would stay in each other’s homes was crazy. Today, millions of people every night do just that. But we want to go further by supporting and expanding our community so that in 10 years time, more than 1 billion people per year will experience the benefits of magical travel on Airbnb.”

Later this year, Airbnb will also recognize its best guests with a new guest membership program offering benefits across the entire trip. Superguest will launch initially to 10,000 guests as a trial this summer before being rolled out to Airbnb’s wider guest community before the end of the year.

Today’s announcement is driven by Airbnb’s commitment to be a 21st Century Company that operates in the interests of all its stakeholders, including hosts, guests and communities. That means helping hosts be more successful, bringing belonging to more guests and supporting small businesses in communities such as B&Bs and boutiques that provide local and authentic hospitality. This also includes a continued commitment to partner with authorities around the world on rules that ensure Airbnb strengthens communities.

Founded in August 2008 by Brian Chesky and Joe Gebbia, Airbnb is a community marketplace for people to list, discover and book unique spaces around the world through mobile phones or the internet. Whether an apartment for a night, a castle for a week, or a villa for a month, Airbnb connects people to unique travel experiences at any price point. With a growing community of users, Airbnb also provides an easy way for people to monetize their extra space and showcase it to an audience of millions. Airbnb has acquired several of its competitors, including Accoleo, CrashPadder, NabeWise, and Localmind.