Airbnb seeks to push joys of travel with Trips launch

17 มีนาคม 2560

Airbnb's new idea is to hook up travelers with new local experiences & provide access to new places guided by local expertise. Locals get money-making opportunities.

TOURISM & ACCOMODATIONS

Airbnb seeks to push joys of travel with Trips launch

Nanat Suchiva
17/03/2017

Airbnb yesterday launched Trips, its tour and activity packages, in Thailand, targeting those who book accommodations via its online platform.

The launch followed Trips's global debut in Los Angeles last year.

MIXING WITH THE LOCALS AT AFFORDABLE PRICES

Airbnb's co-founder and chief product officer Joe Gebbia said Trips will enhance the world's sharing economy trend as younger people continually try new ways of travelling around the world.

"The world has been changing and travelling is not just about staying in luxury accommodations, but also mixing with the locals at affordable prices," he said.

THREE CORE OFFERINGS: HOMES, EXPERIENCES & PLACES

Mr Gebbia said Trips will move the company beyond the home- sharing concept to end-to-end hospitality solutions comprising three core offerings of homes, experiences and places, helping deliver Thailand's outstanding and varied local experiences.

"We're adding bookable local experiences designed by Thai experts to our service, whereby guests can explore the city in an authentic manner," he said.

There are three examples of local experiences: Muay Thai by Matthew Deane, Thai fruit carving by Waewmanee Saikaew and local flavours in a glass by Ronnaporn Kanivichaporn.

PROVIDING ACCESS TO PLACES, GUIDED BY LOCAL EXPERTISE

Another element of Trips is providing access to places that make the most of local expertise, aided by the addition of recommendations from hundreds of thousands of Airbnb hosts, neighbourhood insiders and local influencers to the platform.

Over 800 experiences are now available in more than 13 cities around the world including Bangkok, Singapore, Tokyo and Seoul. The service expects to have experiences in more than 50 cities by the end of the year.

Mr Gebbia speaks at a press conference for the launch of Airbnb's Trips concept in Thailand. The hospitality-solutions platform is intended to help drive regional growth.

MORE REAL LOCAL EXPERIENCES SOUGHT

Mr Gebbia said Thailand is one of the most vibrant countries in the world and he believes that travellers want to have more real, local experiences, especially in Bangkok, where the distinctive culture and rich heritage is well-known.

The launch of Trips in Bangkok is intended to push Airbnb's growth in the Asia-Pacific region, which is expanding the fastest in terms of tourists and business opportunities, he said.

CHIANG MAI MOST POPULAR AIRBNB LOCATION IN THAILAND

Airbnb also wants to help cities diversify tourism away from busy metropolitan areas by providing an alternative way for locals to make additional money via its home-sharing platform.

Mr Gebbia said in Thailand, Airbnb is most popular in Chiang Mai with more than 4,000 accommodations, thanks to its lively city and affordable living costs.