Airbnb debuts Rooms category in 2023 Summer Release upgrades
US: As part of its 2023 Summer Release, Airbnb has announced the debut of a new Airbnb Rooms category, promising to be an “all-new take on the original Airbnb”, as well as 50+ new features and upgrades for both hosts and guests that will begin rolling out next week.
Airbnb’s Catherine Powell on safety, AI and sustainable tourism
Worldwide: Catherine Powell, the first-ever global head of hosting at Airbnb, speaks to STRz about enhancing safety and security on the Airbnb platform, prioritising sustainable and responsible tourism, and how AI and machine learning will create a more personalised booking search experience from now on.
Duve introduces DuveAI to revolutionise guest experience
Israel: Tel Aviv-based guest experience platform Duve has announced that it is planning to release its latest innovation for guest experience management, DuveAI.
Breezeway launches digital welcome book for rental providers
US: Property operations platform Breezeway has announced the launch of its new fully-integrated digital welcome book for guests – Breezeway Guide.
Airbnb to include cleaning fees in total display prices
Worldwide: From next month, Airbnb will refine its search results and enhance transparency in the booking process to include cleaning fees in the total display prices.
Urgent calls for hosts to join Homes for Ukraine scheme in the UK
UK: The UK Government has called for more people to join the Homes for Ukraine scheme, following the marking of the six-month anniversary of the Russian invasion of the country last week.
Sentral and Airbnb join forces for home-sharing programme
US: Flexible living residential brand Sentral has partnered with Airbnb to allow its residents in select US states to host their apartments exclusively on the latter.
Airbnb reports “strongest quarter ever” for Q3
US: Airbnb has exceeded market expectations by reporting the “strongest quarter ever” in its financial results, which it claims is evidence of the travel rebound accelerating. In its third earnings report since going public via an initial public offering [IPO] last December, the home-sharing platform has reported the highest revenue and net income in its […]
Hosts create direct booking platforms in response to COVID pressures
US: With demand and trust in major short-term rental companies falling, many hosts are creating their own direct booking platforms. According to an article from CNBC, hosts across the US are moving away from the larger platforms. For many, these websites had been previously in the works, as many professional hosts looked for ways to […]
iGMS launches support program for hosts
Canada: Vacation rental software solution iGMS has introduced special conditions to support hosts and help them through difficult times, and launched a support program for them to cut their rental software expenses significantly, in light of the Covid-19 outbreak. Small businesses across the globe, in particular in the short-term rental industry, have been hit extremely […]