It was to be expected that Airbnb would eventually launch into the full-fledged travel company space. Up until Airbnb has been offering one-day experiences to its clientele base. But now the place hosting company wants to go bigger and better – going after that sweet spot of people of opportunity: people who want to travel but for shorter periods of time (read dl’s previous article on Millennials and micro-cations). Other companies such as Canada’s G Adventures, and Australia’s Intrepid travel have mastered these types of tailored adventure trips for years now. Airbnb seems a little late to the all-inclusive travel game, but really it’s not. Especially when one considers that tourism is on the rise.
Airbnb’s day long trips was for its Experiences marketplace. But as of late last week, all of that has changed. The company announcing and entirely new marketplace that’s called, Adventures. Airbnb’s Adventure trips are anywhere from three to seven days long. The trips are all-inclusive with local guides, food, transportation, and accommodation. The intention is to allow people to explore destinations around the world in an intimate way. So far, more than 200 trips in 40 countries are available.
Tour operators around the world can apply to participate in Airbnb’s new Adventure program. But the word on the street is that acceptance rate data hasn’t been established. Although it is said that at least 80% of all applicants are turned away for their Experience program.
Airbnb uses a vetting process to assess each applicant, ensuring that they are up to par, properly licensed and certified, and possess the capability to cover and handle all logistics in a safe manner. Beyond those sound business fundamentals … the company wants the assistance of local communities to deliver authentic experiences. They prefer guides that are a real part of the rubric in the regions from which they apply. By pursing the path of using lesser known tour operators, the company hopes to ensure a level of uniqueness for their trips, and thus, compete against the likes of Expedia, TripAdvisor, and other rising ventures like Hong Kong-based, Klook or Germany’s, GetYourGuide.
Choose your adventure by region
From beginners to more advanced outings. Airbnb Adventure is offering things like Island hopping in Indonesia, a visit to the world’s most silent place, kayaking in Sweden, or musical camping in the Cali desert. Any gear that’s required for the trips will be provided and usually, travelers will only need to bring the bare minimum, like a backpack.
Adventures is just a starting point for Airbnb in their quest to offer end-to-end travel itineraries. All Airbnb Adventure trips will include everything but the flight – at least for now, since the company is currently looking into flight booking as the next step in the growth plan. There seems to be everything to gain. The Adventure Travel and Trade Association (ATTA) has stated that “worldwide adventure travel market has grown from $98 billion in 2009 to $683 billion in 2017.”
Pricing for Airbnb Adventure trips range anywhere from $79 to $5,000, but on average cost $110 per day to $750 for a week. Keep in mind, that the word “Adventure” in Airbnb’s case, doesn’t refer to extreme sports like base jumping or heli-skiing, but rather trips with a softer meaning of the word adventure with cultural things like cooking experiences or more physical activities like hiking and climbing.