San Francisco (TAN): Airbnb ceased to be just a global home sharing platform long ago. While it has already expanded its business to include travel experiences, the company recently launched Airbnb Adventures to take adventure junkies on multi-day trips lasting between three and ten days.
Airbnb called it ‘a new collection of bucket list worthy multi-day experiences’ that will take guests across six continents where they will be hosted by local experts. These experts will then take guests to unusual locations that are difficult to access on their own, and introduce them to local communities and natural wonders so that they can interact with unique cultures and landscapes.
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The adventures can be selected based on interests – one can either choose a cultural quest, or one that revolves around a physical activity. Animal lovers too get to take their pick. No matter what they go with, it will take them through a myriad of adventures, from sailing through Peru’s Lake Titicaca on a fishing boat to tracking lions on foot with Sabache warriors in Kenya, and from glamping under the northern lights to kayaking in Vietnam’s Mekong River.
The international adventure travel market is on the rise, and Airbnb, with the launch of the particular category, wants to tap into the market by serving more ‘attainable experiences’ to customers.
Vice President of Experiences at Airbnb Joe “Joebot” Zadeh said: “Getting access to epic and transformational travel has never been easier than through Airbnb Adventures. 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.”
During the launch of Airbnb Adventures, a few individuals will be able to go on a 80-day trip across the globe. Christened ‘Around the World in 80 Days’ after the Jules Verne classic, the adventure will give guests a tour across ‘six continents, 18 countries, two oceans, five seas and eight modes of transportation including, of course, a hot air balloon’, starting from London on September 1.
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“Growing up with the story of Phileas Fogg racing around the world in 80 days I can’t imagine a better way to celebrate the launch of Airbnb Adventures than to bring this to life for our community to enjoy. Across so many different countries, landscapes and cultures, it really sets the tone for the huge breadth of Adventures now available to book on Airbnb thanks to the incredible imagination of our community,” Zadeh added.
Guests can currently choose from over 200 adventures, which will go up by the end of the year, Airbnb said. The adventures are in small groups of up to twelve guests that will be available for booking through hosts on Airbnb from June 20.
A wide range of budgets are available, from USD79 for an overnight trip up to USD5,000 for ten-day treks. Flights are not included, with the exception of inter-country travel within the Around the World in 80 Days itinerary.
