Airbnb is making it easier for people get started as hosts

Airbnb data shows that it is now 35% more common for guests to book rooms outside the top 400 destinations. – QUANG LE/Pixabay

Airbnb is trying to lower the hurdles for anyone considering renting out their place by rolling out a new approach that gives landlords advice from experienced hosts and lets them pick trusted Airbnb users as their first guests.

While announcing a fresh batch of Airbnb features recently, co-founder Nathan Blecharczyk said he hoped the combination of experienced guests, specialised support and guidance from veteran hosts would help "make sure first stays go smoothly".

Property damage protection is meanwhile being increased from US$1mil (RM4.57mil) to US$3mil (RM13.72mil), and verification of all guests will be offered globally by spring 2023, the accommodation platform says.

Some pandemic trends have continued, Blecharczyk said, pointing to long-term stays, which now account for 20% of booked nights worldwide. The Airbnb manager sees this as being clearly linked to more people working outside the office.

However he says demand has also shifted since this summer, when Airbnb introduced the ability to search not just by location but by category, such as proximity to national parks or beaches.

It is now 35% more common for guests to book outside the top 400 destinations, Blecharczyk said. And on average, people within cities are booking 8km further away than they would have otherwise.

The feature helps spread guests out, and thus bring the benefits of tourism to more destinations beyond hotspots – "something governments are very interested in." – dpa