Airbnb has introduced a new ‘Work Trip’ toggle and updated search capabilities to make it easier to use the platform for business travel.
New data from Airbnb has revealed Australians and New Zealanders of all ages, from millennials to baby-boomers, are increasingly choosing home-comforts over traditional corporate accommodation providers when travelling for work.
According to the data, the number of millennials using Airbnb for work across Australia and New Zealand has increased by 59 per cent compared to 12 months ago. It comes as global data shows the number of companies using Airbnb for Work to help manage business travel has risen from 400,000 to half a million globally.
The data was released with the announcement of the new ‘Work Trip’ feature which is accessible across web, mobile and all Airbnb apps globally.
Airbnb for Work APAC Regional Head, Alvan Aiau Yong, said the feature allows guests to search work-friendly places to stay that have received high ratings from other business travellers, including entire homes, Airbnb Plus homes that are verified for quality and design, and boutique hotels.
Previously, guests were asked if trips were for business travel at checkout, this was primarily to help with expensing by charging to companies directly, however, we saw the importance to place the search at the beginning of the process with guests now being able to customise their search results for business travel.
“This feature will make it simple for business travellers to search for listings with all the amenities guests need when travelling on business such as flexible access, fully-equipped kitchens for home-cooked meals, free Wi-FI and dedicated desk and study areas,”
The increasing popularity of Airbnb for Work comes as Tourism Research Australia found spending on business trips has increased by 5 per cent to 27 per cent in the last year.
“Our data shows companies can save up to an average of 49%² a night when their employees book an Airbnb over traditional hotels and we believe this economic benefit is one of the reasons we’re seeing such strong uptake across the ANZ region,” Yong said.
