- Airbnb announced new social features for Airbnb Experiences, its booking solution for activities and tours, in line with a company announcement.
- The features are supposed to help guests connect with each other before, during and after experiences. Additions include a direct messaging option, the power to see guests who’re already going on a particular experience and the choice to see the people a user has already met.
- Users maintain control of the features, selecting what information, if any, to share with others. Airbnb also unveiled other updates, including smarter search and improved map functionality, an expanded Reserve Now, Pay Later option and enhancements to its artificial intelligence-powered customer support.
The new social media features for Airbnb Experiences are a part of the corporate’s ongoing bid to be greater than a travel-booking platform for consumers. Earlier this 12 months, the brand overhauled its app in support of Experiences, which lets users book local activities including gallery tours, shopping excursions and horseback rides. The move was accompanied by a social-first marketing campaign.
The changes to Experiences, which was a relaunch of an existing product, were designed to assist travelers form deeper connections with their destination cities by engaging with locals, in line with CEO Brian Chesky. Now, the platform’s latest updates are designed to assist consumers connect with one another before, during and after their excursions.
The features include the power to see what guests are already going on an experience — along with where they’re from — before booking for oneself. The addition is supported by a recent survey indicating that over 70% of travelers would really like to know more about other guests before booking an experience.
Users also can request to directly message guests they first met during an experience inside the app. Additionally, within the Connections section of a user’s profile, travelers can see who they’ve met during their experiences to permit them to reconnect. For each experience, users can select whether or to not share their profile.
Airbnb also updated several other features and can offer more options for homes just outside of a traveler’s search criteria. For example, the app will provide options with similar prices, different amenities or stays in nearby areas for less. The Maps tool now lets users easily filter for nearby landmarks, restaurants and attractions. Later this 12 months, Airbnb may also allow users to see different map views, including satellite, transit or street.
Additionally, the app’s AI assistant will likely be available in additional languages and countries and may recognize a user and their reservation or listing to offer more tailored responses. The assistant may also let users take actions, like canceling a reservation, directly within the app. Airbnb at the identical time is expanding its Reserve Now, Pay Later feature, which was launched within the U.S. earlier this 12 months, to be available worldwide starting next 12 months.
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