Airbnb says personalisation is at the heart of its updated mobile application launched this week alongside 'Live There' - it's largest brand campaign.
The enhanced app aims to understand travellers' likes and match them with accommodation, neighbourhoods and experiences accordingly.
There is also a new Guidebooks feature to provide insight and tips from locals from the company's host community.
Airbnb has also unveiled its latest campaign which it says has been designed to counteract the growing dissatisfaction with modern tourism.
Prior to unveiling the campaign and launching the updated app, Airbnb commissioned YouGov to do some research on US travellers, which revealed:
- 47% are not happy to be considered a tourist when visiting a new place.
- 23% would mostly like to enjoy local experiences and 55% would like a combination of local and tourist experiences.
- 48% say dealing with crowds at a major tourist attraction is more stressful than going to the dentist and 52% say more stressful than doing their tax return.
In
a statement on the campaign, Airbnb chief executive Brian Chesky says:
"The number one reason people chose to travel on Airbnb is they want to live like a local. They don’t want to be tourists stuck in long lines, fighting with the crowds to see the same thing as everyone else.”