Airbnb is going well beyond home rentals, offering airport pickups, grocery delivery, luggage storage, car rentals, boutique hotels and exclusive travel experiences, as it expands into travel services.
THE the company announced As of Tuesday, travelers can now book grocery delivery through Instacart in more than 25 U.S. cities, airport rides through Welcome Pickups in more than 160 cities worldwide, and luggage storage through Bounce in more than 15,000 locations worldwide.
Airbnb also plans to launch car rentals through the app later this summer.
“We want to bring a little magic to every trip it’s your turn,” Dave Stephenson, Airbnb’s chief business officer, told FOX Business.
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Travelers arrive at a pick-up area at the airport. Airbnb is rolling out new transportation services through Welcome Pickups in more than 160 cities around the world. (iStock/iStock)
At the same time, Airbnb is adding boutique and independent hotels in major cities, including new YorkParis, London, Rome and Singapore, as well as new AI-powered features like review summaries, listing comparisons and smarter customer support tools.
This expansion builds on Airbnb’s broader push into travel services and experiences beyond traditional home stays.
“[When COVID-19] “We had to hunker down and focus on the core business, and then we did that for several years and really worked and perfected the core kind of business,” Stephenson said. “But a few years ago, part of me coming into this new role was to prepare us to expand into services. [and] experiments, which we did in May last year.
Airbnb now offers over 3,000 curated experiences globalincluding visits to landmarks such as the Tower of London, Tokyo Skytree and the Taj Mahal.
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Screenshots from the Airbnb app show a new airport pickup feature that allows travelers to book private car rides for their Airbnb stays.
Airbnb Chief Commercial Officer Dave Stephenson of Airbnb is pictured on May 28, 2024 in Seoul, South Korea. (Han Myung-Gu/WireImage/Getty Images)
The company also relies on 2026 FIFA World Cup travel with exclusive fan events and athlete-led experiences.
Stephenson said Airbnb expects demand for the World Cup to exceed that seen during the Paris Olympics, when more than 700,000 guests stayed in Airbnb properties.
“The average homeowner will make about $3,000 from sharing their home,” he said.
Airbnb is also adding new social and group scheduling tools. A revamped Travel tab will display reservations alongside nearby restaurants, attractions and experiences, allowing users to save places and create shared itineraries.
Later this summer, Airbnb will launch a new travel map and connections feature, allowing users to see where their friends have stayed, browse their reviews and bookings, and message them directly for travel tips.
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The Airbnb logo is displayed on a smartphone in front of real estate ads. (Mateusz Slodkowski/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
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“These group itineraries — I think that’s going to be a really cool new feature that people will find really useful, because when you travel on Airbnb, you tend to travel with your family and friends,” Stephenson said.
The new hotel services and offers are available now in select markets, while car rental and additional app features are expected to roll out later this summer.
