Today we’re unveiling Airbnb Adventures – an expansion of Airbnb Experiences that provides opportunity for daring guests to channel their inner Phileas Fogg and travel Around the World in 80 Days. This epic voyage across six continents joins other Adventures now available to book through hosts on Airbnb ranging from tracking lions on foot with Sabache Warriors in Kenya to hunting for UFOs with Nate in Arizona.
Since Airbnb launched over 11 years ago, it has provided an alternative to uniform and mass produced travel, meeting a demand for more uniquely local travel experiences. It started with people opening their homes and in 2016 expanded to allow people to share their passions and talents with Airbnb Experiences, which is now available in over 1,000 cities worldwide. Today the brand has gone a step further, with hosts providing unique travel experiences as Airbnb Adventures which include for the first time lodging, meals, and activities.
Airbnb Adventures is a new collection of bucket-list worthy multi-day experiences hosted by local experts that take intimate groups to off-the-beaten-track locations and immerses them in unique cultures and communities. You can now enjoy a six day Galapagos Slow Food Safari, experience the wonders of Oman or camp on a cliff in Colorado – all you have to do is show up.
Introducing guests to natural wonders, cultures and communities that are hard to reach on their own, Airbnb Adventures are led by local experts and meet certain quality and safety standards. Airbnb was advised on safety and best practices for its Adventure by the Adventure Travel Trade Association (ATTA). They are also affordable; hosts offer a range of prices from $79 for an overnight trip up to $5000 for a 10-day trek. Today at launch, there are over 200 adventures to choose from that are either entirely exclusive to Airbnb, or provided by small, local operators that are not typically found on any other major booking platform.
To mark the launch of the category, a limited number of lucky individuals will have the truly once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to join an 80-day trip around the world. Inspired by the epic Jules Verne classic penned almost 150 years ago, this Adventure takes guests across six continents, 18 countries, two oceans, five seas and eight modes of transportation including, of course, a hot air balloon.
“Getting access to epic and transformational travel has never been easier than through Airbnb Adventures,” said Joe “Joebot” Zadeh, VP Experiences, Airbnb. “Like Airbnb Experiences, people can escape their day-to-day and put their screens and devices away but now instead of just a few hours, they have the option to be fully immersed off-the-beaten-path, to push themselves out of their comfort zones and have experiences that will stay with them for the rest of their lives.”
The breadth of Airbnb Adventures reaches far beyond the challenging to match every passion and skill level. Across each corner of the world, these 200+ Adventures range from Cliff Camping to kayaking to cultural immersions. They are hosted by experienced locals that have fascinating stories to share, and because they always take place in intimate groups, guests can look to learn, make personal connections, seek challenges and grow.
According to the ATTA, the international adventure travel market in 2017 could be valued at over $683 billion, up 21% from 2012. With more travelers seeking adventure than ever before, Airbnb is looking to democratise the industry, offering more attainable experiences that are designed to unlock the power of nature, are led by locals and cater to a breadth of interests and abilities.
Announcement Highlights:
● 200+ available globally at launch, with many more to be added before the end of the year
● All Adventures are in small groups with a maximum capacity of 12 guests or less
● Median price of an Adventure is $588 for a three-day trip
● Hosts offer Adventures under a range of budgets from $79 for an overnight trip up to $5000 for once-in-a-lifetime 10-day treks*
● Adventures covers a wide breadth of activity ranging from active to foodie, farming to camping, music to animals – always with a strong element of local community
● The Around the World in 80 Days Adventure will be available to book from June 20th, from London to London departing September 1, 2019
*Hosts are the providers of Adventures: they arrange their own Adventure, control when and where they host, the itinerary, where they stay, what services they offer, and what they charge. Flights not included.
