Airbnb Inc Provides 60 Language Features To Make It Easy For Customers

Airbnb's home rental app adds 60 foreign languages. (photo: doc. unsplash)

JAKARTA - Airbnb Inc on Tuesday, November 9 announced a slew of new features including a translation tool set to roll out later this year and expanded insurance for hosts. This feature emerged after the easing of COVID-19 restrictions, which made the home rental application flooded with customers.

These features, aimed at facilitating increased cross-border travel and longer stays, will help Airbnb further capitalize on the pandemic-driven shift in consumer preferences towards non-urban destinations and alternative accommodations.

"What you're going to see is that as the world moves into a post-COVID-19 world, people will be traveling more than ever before," Airbnb Chief Executive Officer Brian Chesky told Reuters in an interview.

Chesky hopes the new tool, which will be able to translate listing descriptions and reviews in 60 languages, will help with bookings, particularly in Europe and Asia Pacific, where there is high demand for cross-border travel.

Airbnb says more than 100,000 guests have stayed at its rental properties for at least three consecutive months in the past year.

Its "AirCover" insurance will offer the host protection against damage caused by the guest's pet. Especially now that global searches are surging on the platform, many users are looking for pet-friendly homes.

Truist analyst Naved Khan expects this latest upgrade to drive additional customer growth on Airbnb. The broker maintained its "hold" rating on Airbnb Inc's shares last Tuesday.

Rent demand, pent up for months due to the pandemic, has now sparked a huge spike in bookings to the United States last Monday. Especially as the country has lifted its pandemic-driven travel restrictions imposed in early 2020.

Overall cross-border travel has grown steadily to 33% per night booked in the third quarter, compared with 27% in the second quarter and 20% in the first, Airbnb said.

According to Airbnb, as of November 8, the top destinations for foreign travel into the United States are heading to cities like Los Angeles, Miami, and New York.