Airbnb and Bumble Make First Dates More Fun with Online Experiences
If you’re single right now and looking to mingle virtually, you’re not alone. In fact, you may be among the more than 100,000 Bumble users globally who have updated their dating profiles to mention that they are quarantining. To help star-crossed matches connect from afar, Airbnb is releasing a collection of Bumble-approved Online Experiences perfect for spicing up virtual dates and engaging with each other in fun, meaningful ways.
To celebrate this collection on Airbnb, Bumble is sponsoring a contest where one hundred Bumble users will be selected to go on unique virtual first dates through Online Experiences. Lean into your shared culinary cravings with a wine class with an expert in Portugal or a how-to on Mexican street tacos. Or virtually sneak away to a hidden date-night spot, like the secret Amsterdam jazz club, a live show with sangria and drag queens in Lisbon, or Japan’s oldest brewery for sake secrets. Other Online Experiences perfect for virtual dating include:
- Turkish Fortune Coffee Reading (New York, New York)
- Fall in Laugh (Lisbon, Portugal)
- Tarot Reading with Mak Jagger (Austin, Texas)
- Meet the Wooly Sheep of My New Zealand Farm (Rotorua, New Zealand)
- GINspiration History & Cocktails at Home (Bath, United Kingdom)
- Discover the Rhythms of Puerto Rico (Hatillo, Puerto Rico)
- Pasta with Luca & Lorenzo (Florence, Italy)
- All about Coffee with a Pro Taster (Bogotá, Colombia)
- Drink and Draw (Lisbon, Portugal)
- Farm to Table from the Mediterranean (Klis, Croatia)
While having the backup of other guests from around the world on an Online Experience with you and your match may help put first date jitters at ease, those who want to sneak away for quality time together can opt for private bookings and request specific booking dates. Booking seats through this feature has been gaining popularity, as they have tripled since pre-pandemic bookings.
Bumble recently announced the launch of its new virtual dating tools, including a “Virtual Dating” badge that will appear in users’ profiles who are open to date via video chat. This badge allows Bumble users to find and filter their prospective matches based on who is looking to date virtually. During this time when it’s best to take dates virtual, Bumble has also expanded its distance filters to allow users to match with anyone in their country.
Launched in April 2020, Online Experiences unlock unprecedented access to inspiring hosts across the world, including Buddhist monks, sommeliers, magicians, and more. Whether visiting the dogs of Chernobyl, bringing the flavors of India to life at home, or making cheese with a mama goat and her kid in Malibu, guests have the chance to connect with new people and travel virtually from their own living room.
Beginning today until May 28, 2020, new and existing Bumble Date users in the United States can enter to win through the Bumble app a free virtual first date with Airbnb Online Experiences. For more information on the contest, see here and for virtual first date ideas, visit airbnb.com/online-experiences.