On February 22, Airbnb unveiled its roadmap for bringing authentic, local and people-powered travel to everyone. The plan includes several new products and services to appeal to the preferences and needs of every traveler, including: Airbnb Plus, an elevated tier of Homes verified for comfort and quality; improved search and new property types to help guests more easily discover the perfect listing; and even greater choice in listings like boutique hotels. Combined with continued investment in host and guest programs, and a new Luxury tier to be rolled out this Spring, these products are the next step in our goal of 1 billion annual guests by 2028.
Just one month later, we’re already seeing tremendous growth in the key services and products that make up our renewed Homes business. In the last month alone:
- 20,000 hosts have applied to have their listings included in Airbnb Plus, with strong interest in markets like Los Angeles (3,100), London (1,500) and Bali (1,200).
- Homes that have been approved for Airbnb Plus have completed more than 20,000 improvements to their listings. These range from improving amenities (faster WiFi, added conveniences like irons or TVs) to upgraded perks like coffee, tea and kitchen supplies, to a range of home renovations or maintenance.
- Nearly 1 million listings have begun the process to ‘redefine your space’, which re-categorizes the space with more detail to more easily match travelers with the perfect home for them.
- More than 1,100 traditional hospitality providers, including boutique hotels and unique B&Bs, have reached out to Airbnb about the possibility of sharing space on our platform.
Airbnb hosts are already seeing the benefits of upgrading or redefining their listings. For hosts, these opportunities can result in more visibility to guests and increased bookings. For guests, improved categories and the Plus tier mean additional confidence in the comfort and quality of a listing.
Meanwhile, Airbnb Experiences are also continuing to thrive. In the past three weeks, we’ve added 1,500 new Experiences around the world and in the past month, launched Experiences in over 15 new cities including Vienna, Naples and Kuala Lumpur, as well as destinations like the Amalfi Coast and Fukuoka. Of this, the top-booked Experiences range from a photographic journey through Porto’s culinary scene to a ceramics workshop in one of Italy’s panoramic seaside villages. We expect even more Experiences to be added to the platform as we are reviewing 1,200 new applications from people who want to host Experiences on Airbnb every week.
- Vienna, Austria – Discover Horses’ Healing Natural Power
- Porto, Portugal – Historical Side of Porto’s Gastronomy
- Naples, Italy – Behind the Neapolitan Sacred Nativity
- Amalfi Coast, Italy – Traditional Ceramic Workshop
- Kyoto, Japan – Tea Picking and Hiking in Wazuka, Kyoto
- Tokyo, Japan – Prepare a Custom Cherry Blossom Picnic
- Fukuoka, Japan – Panoramic Hike and Outdoor Cooking
- Jeju, South Korea – Jeju Trail Running