Airbnb was born in 2008 when two roommates had spare space to share with some travelers looking for someone to stay.
The experience sparked the idea for Airbnb, and today millions of people around the world are hosting travelers by letting out rooms, apartments, or houses.
The Airbnb platform enables hosts and travelers to link up and book a room for the night in a variety of accommodation, from regular apartments to chalets and even lighthouses and castles.
Since its inception, Airbnb has grown year on year. Today, it has four million registered hosts welcoming 800 million guests in around 100,000 cities in just about every part of the globe.
As of September 2020, Airbnb had 5.6 million active listings in over 220 countries and regions. In total, there have been 800 million guest arrivals, making Airbnb hosts over $110 billion. The average annual earnings for a host is $7,900.
Airbnb bills as a year of meaningful travel
Airbnb research data revealed that the activity Americans missed the most due to COVID-19 restrictions was travel. And the majority are hopeful of resuming travel in 2021.
Their first post-pandemic travel will be to see loved ones, moving travel back to its roots according to users. While the pandemic will hamper mass tourism and the industry in general, 2021 looks set to return to meaningful travel.
Survey respondents indicated that when travel gets the green light in 2021, they will reconnect with family and friends rather than exploring new places. However, it hinges on getting vaccinated as Airbnb’s top priority is host and guest safety and that of the communities in which hosts are located.
Vast variety of accommodation types
Search for last-minute deals
Easy to book accommodation
In-app messaging
Ratings and reviews
Airbnb makes travel accommodation and hosting easy and safe. All personal profiles and listings are verified. The platform has an in-built messaging service for guests and hosts and a secure payment system to transfer and collect money.
The Airbnb website has a dedicated Trust and Safety Center and a comprehensive Help Center covering all aspects of the service.
A global community support team is on standby 24/7 for guests and hosts in eleven languages.
The hosts are everyday people who want to share their world and give guests a home from home.
Cheaper than a hotel room
Wide variety of accommodations types
Customizable searches
Accommodation may not be as listed
Booking process takes longer
Airbnb is available as an app from the App Store and Google Play. But you can also register on the Airbnb website.
If you wish to be a guest, click/tap on the three lines to reveal the signup link. There’s a dedicated button on the website if you wish to become a host.
If you wish to book accommodation, you must complete your online profile before you can make a reservation. So do hosts, but there are additional requirements involved before you can add a listing.
