Airbnb for Work has set out plans to expand into new areas in a new ‘strategic direction’ for the company following growth in business travel use of the site.
From today, the platform is opening up Airbnb Experiences and Airbnb Homes for business use, as well as launching new options for employees relocating for work.
With Airbnb Experiences, the company will promote team-building options for businesses. The platform already provides a listing of local activities for leisure travellers, which will now be available for corporate use – from sailing lessons to pastry-making classes. These Experiences are now bookable through the platform in more than 800 markets around the world in various categories such as wellness, team building and social impact.
Airbnb Homes will no longer just be available for overnight stays. The platform is now promoting properties where companies can hold offsite meetings, with many offering amenities such as wifi and self check-in. In addition to traditional homes, the site features nearly 3,000 castles and 1,400 treehouses around the world.
Finally, Airbnb is expanding its offering for business relocations, helping employees to find temporary accommodation for themselves and their family in the community in which they’d like to find a permanent home.
Airbnb for Work says the expansion of its services comes after the company estimated that only 25 per cent of employees within a company travel for work. While business travel will remain core to the platform, it claims offering experiences, meeting locations and relocation services will help it reach the portion of the workforce that doesn’t travel.
The news follows Airbnb's claim that 700,000 companies worldwide now use the platform to book business accommodation. Earlier this year, the firm also launched Airbnb for Events, a website plug-in tool that allows event organisers to offer properties to book near their events.
airbnbforwork.com