The pandemic has changed everything about daily life, including the way people work and travel. More people have been working from home than ever. Similarly, people have been unable to travel during the various lockdown periods impacting national and international travel. As a result, those who can work from home might want to travel alone, and Airbnb has already noticed a significant uptick in solo travelers. That’s why Airbnb announced new safety features that will be available in the app for stays for just one person.
The company said in a blog post that the “live anywhere” phenomenon has taken off in recent years. People who can work remotely tend to travel alone, Airbnb says. Internal data showed that 26% of all nights booked in 2021 were from solo travelers. Moreover, more than 50% of nights booked for long-term stays during the first quarter of 2022 were solo travelers.
That’s why Airbnb has devised new safety features meant to improve the security of people traveling by themselves to a new place.
The new Airbnb safety features
The blog explains that Airbnb’s Trust team has been working on the new product since last year. The result is a new Solo Traveler in-app experience that will highlight new safety features for people traveling alone.
It all starts when an Airbnb solo guest books a private or shared room reservation. The app activates the specialized user interface, which will bring up various functionalities.
The app will offer an expert tips menu where solo travelers will receive information about staying safe while traveling alone.
There’s also a new share button, which lets solo guests share everything about their Airbnb stay with other people with just one touch. The share menu will include the listing address, reservation code, and check-in and check-out dates.
The app will trigger another safety feature once the Airbnb host confirms a reservation. Airbnb will offer question suggestions for the host so travelers can learn more details about the place they’re going to be traveling to.
The new safety features, seen in the screenshots above will be available to English-speaking guests initially. Also, it’ll be available for reservations concerning private rooms or shared spaces. Airbnb plans to bring the safety features to more countries and languages and to support entire home listings.
Other useful emergency features
On top of the new safety features, Airbnb reminds customers it has other safety features in place that are available to all users. The 24-hour Safety Line is available to all travelers during their stays. The Safety Line will provide guests direct access to trained safety agents.
Furthermore, the Local Emergency Services is an in-app feature that lets all users contact local emergency services with one touch.
Finally, users can add an Emergency Contact to their profile, which Airbnb can use in case of emergencies.
