The unexpected pandemic outbreak has changed everything regarding daily life, which includes the way people work and travel. As a result of this unexpected scenario, there are ample people working online rather than commuting daily. Similarly, people are confined to their own houses which makes it impossible to travel during this period, and it has adversely impacted national and international travel.
Hence, people who can work from home have the liberty to travel without hindering their job, and understanding this situation, Airbnb has come forward with new safety features that are solely available for individuals who travel alone.
The Airbnb company in their recent blog post shared the fact that they have taken off the caption “ live anywhere” and they are given more significance to people who are working remotely and can travel alone.
According to Airbnb’s internal data, 26% of all nights booked in 2021 were from solo travelers. Moreover, more than 50% of nights booked for long-term stays during the first quarter of 2022 were also solo travelers.
This is the reason why Airbnb has implemented new safety measures to accelerate the security of people traveling alone to a strange place.
What is Airbnb?
Airbnb is a rental booking platform that enables individuals to make hotel reservations before they even leave for their locations. They can choose their lodging after looking at its images and learning everything there is to know about the amenities it offers. For their stay, visitors can hire everything from a single room to a suite or even a castle. Airbnb acts as a central meeting place for hosts and visitors. Users can see each item and reserve a suitable place to stay when homeowners advertise their houses on the app. Later, Airbnb acknowledged the enormous value of this unique and implemented the concept of Airbnb. Many people began renting out the empty space in their homes to get an additional income.
The New Safety Features of Airbnb
When a visitor books a private or shared room, the new feature for lone travelers is turned on. This new tool, which Airbnb refers to as a “dedicated in-app experience,” will display “professional suggestions” for solitary travelers on how to be safe.
It is feasible for single travelers to let relatives and friends know where they are staying and the details of their reservation thanks to Airbnb’s safety feature. The address, check-in, check-out dates, and reservation codes will only be visible to those you can trust.
The new tool will also offer automatic suggestions to assist solitary travelers to ask pertinent questions based on research and other travelers’ experiences in that area after a guest has booked a room. The app will advise users to ask their hosts questions like, “Is there anything I should know about the neighborhood?” and “would you be available if I need help during my stay?”
By employing this tactic, they hope to create a safety net and encourage travelers who are traveling alone to book with ease: “We hope that this new product will better equip solo travelers on Airbnb to be more informed travelers by getting their pre-trip questions answered, giving them a better understanding of their surroundings, and informing the important people in their lives about where they will be and for how long.”
Although the new in-app experience is currently only available in English, Airbnb wants to eventually make it available in other locales and tongues. The brand is mostly focused on providing unique experiences for women, but for the time being, the new option will be accessible to all solo travelers, regardless of gender.
New Updates of Airbnb
Recently, Airbnb has been very busy, adding new features to their app, giving useful travel statistics, and even making more platform improvements. To provide tourists with more thrilling and engaging options, the firm has added new buttons and categories for its over 6 million listings, including the OMG houses.
The business has been adjusting to meet the needs of contemporary travelers as the pandemic has been brought under better control and more travelers wish to travel and work remotely. Airbnb has previously taken action to address the needs of remote workers and continuously modifies COVID-related policies in response to regional constraints and global health advancements.
The company has recently added a 24/7 safety line for travelers, a Local Emergency Services in-app experience to reach emergency services locally (recently expanded to 70 countries), and now users can also add an emergency contact to their profile to help the company reach out to a friend or family member in case of emergency. Safety seems to be the main concern at the moment.
Conclusion:
By deliberately integrating safety and security with solo travel at its core, Airbnb aims to better arm solo travelers with advice and knowledge, especially so that they may notify the people in their lives who matter most about the specifics of their upcoming trip.
The seriousness with which apps like Airbnb approach passenger safety is comforting. Going on a solo vacation will be safer and more secure with the use of these new Airbnb safety products for traveling.
