Airbnb today is making it easier for Australians to share their world with others by expanding beyond accommodation and launching Trips – bringing together where you stay, what you do and the people you meet, all into one platform.
As the most significant development in Airbnb’s eight-year history, Trips is one platform that offers amazing homes, authentic local experiences, tips, social events and recommendations from local insiders.
Originally launched in 12 cities around the world, Airbnb is now expanding Trips to Australia with an initial focus on Sydney. Starting today, travelers and locals can choose from close to 20 curated Sydney-based activities designed and led by local experts, including taking in the sunrise, surf and sand with Bondi Rescue Lifeguard and local icon, Andrew “Reidy” Reid to going behind the scenes at Neil Perry’s renowned Rockpool Bar & Grill restaurant.
Vice President of Product and one of Airbnb’s first employees, Joseph Zadeh, unveiled the news in Sydney today.
Since we launched Trips at Airbnb Open last November, we’ve been overwhelmed by the positive feedback and interest we’re seeing from hosts and travelers alike. Everyone is eager to experience a different side of a city while immersing themselves in local communities.
Trips gives people traveling to Sydney the opportunity to feel like they can truly belong anywhere – which is integral to Airbnb’s global community. For local Sydney-siders, they can participate in and contribute to local tourism, sharing their skills and favorite experiences with others, while making a little extra money from their interests and passions. It’s a great way for people to discover new things to do, meet new people, and play tourist in their own backyard.
Joseph Zadeh, Vice President of Product at Airbnb
Through people-powered hospitality, Airbnb has transformed where people stay, and is now taking this same approach to the rest of guests’ trips. Designed to make travel both easy and magical, Trips covers three key areas: Experiences, Places and Homes.
Experiences offer unprecedented access to locals sharing their passions and interests, with nearly 20 now available to book online. From world-renowned Chef Neil Perry and professional big wave surfer Mark Matthews to everyday Aussies and professional tour guides, Australians are embracing the share economy, delivering Experiences that are in keeping with Airbnb’s culture and quality standards. A few of these include:
- Experience an insider’s view of the Sydney Opera House, hear stories of great performers, enjoy dinner and drinks in the Green Room before taking in a live performance from the Best Seat in the House.
- Go off the grid with Michael Mobbs and learn how he lives sustainably off natural resources, without needing to pay for a water or electricity bill nor buy groceries.
- Explore Cabramatta like a local, and join Angie Hong, mother to Dan Hong of Ms. G’s, Mr Wong and El Loco fame, on a culinary walking tour. Visit Angie’s favorite local stores and fresh food producers then enjoy a Vietnamese Feast at the renowned Thanh Binh restaurant.
- Learn from three times champion of the Oakley Big Wave Award, Mark Matthews, and discover the big breaks of Cape Fear with a pro.
Places include recommendations and hidden gems from local insiders in the know, with 34 Sydney Guidebooks now live featuring some of the city’s best kept secrets including:
- Visit the many beaches and rock pools that inspired Ken Done, one of Sydney’s most iconic artists
- Discover Dara Hayes aka DJ TigerLily’s favorite places to relax and enjoy a Sunday Session in Sydney
- Follow in the fashion footsteps and discover designer Collette Dinnigan’s most loved boutiques and fashion haunts of Sydney
- Get inked up at some of the city’s best dens known for body art, as revealed by renowned tattoo artist Melanie Milne
Homes
With three million homes available to book across 191 countries, Airbnb offers the largest and most diverse range of unique accommodation options for travelers. In Australia alone, there are more than 115,000 listings with Sydney ranked among Airbnb’s top 10 cities globally, offering 22,000 local properties for visitors to choose from.
Airbnb Country Manager – Australia – and Regional Manager for Trips, Sam McDonagh, commented on the range of newly unearthed Experiences and Places now available for Australians to book.
Since Trips launched last year, the local Airbnb team has been busy working with the travel industry, local experts and businesses, as well as everyday Australians, to uncover experiences that best showcase this great city, and we’re only just getting started.
Whether you’re interested in food and wine, cultural discoveries or new adventures, Trips offers people the opportunity to share their passions, while gaining unprecedented access to our global community and places that they would otherwise never would have known.
Over the coming weeks and months, we’ll continue to add more Experiences and Guidebooks to the Trips platform, and welcome the chance to work with the local community to share this amazing corner of the world with others.
Sam McDonagh, Australia’s Airbnb Country and Regional Manager for Trips
To experience all the new Airbnb features, simply open the Airbnb app or visit www.airbnb.com.au.
Members of the Sydney community willing to host a unique and exclusive Experience can request to list it on: https://www.airbnb.com/host/experiences
About Airbnb
Founded in 2008, Airbnb’s mission is to create a world where people can belong when they travel by being connected to local cultures and having unique travel experiences. Its community marketplace provides access to millions of unique accommodations from apartments and villas to castles and treehouses in more than 65,000 cities and 191 countries. With Experiences, Airbnb offers unprecedented access to local communities and interests, whilst Places lets people discover the hidden gems of a city as recommended by the people that live there. Airbnb is people powered and the easiest way to earn a little extra income from extra space in a home or from sharing passions, interests and cities