Today AirBnB announced arguably the biggest innovation to its short term rental platform to date.
CEO Brian Chesky kicks things off by saying “for the past 25 years when booking travel online you’ve been asked one question: where do you want to go”
What are AirBnB Categories?
“AirBnB categories are collections of homes organised by what makes them unique,” says Chesky, “You can search by what kind of trip you want to experience.”
What does this mean in Glamping?
For the Luxury Geodesic and Glamping Host, this is going to have a massive impact on the upside of your business because it makes it easier for people to search out your listing specifically rather than amongst a map of traditional rentals in your area.
As per AirBnB’s announcement video, categories can be many things:
- Domes
- Camping
- Surfing
- Amazing Views
- Vineyards
- Tiny Homes
- Treehouses
- Off-the-grid
And, in case you’re wondering, will this help or hinder the discoverability of my glamping airbnb in New Zealand and Australia.?
Two things:
- First, AirBnB’s first party data released in 2021 showed the monumental change in short term booking preferences away from major city centres as the largest source of their global revenues and to more rural and unique stays.
- And if that’s not enough, here’s how Chesky explained AirBnB Categories: “Let’s say you’re with your family and you’ve been stuck in the city for a while and you want to get out… well, we now have a camping category, or a countryside category.”
These categories work on their own but also when you’re searching for a location.
For example, someone might want to search for a trip to New Zealand. Now what they’ll do is:
- Pick Country: New Zealand
- Select Category: “Camping” or “Glamping”
This discoverability is going to be an absolute game-changer for geodesic glamping domes that are already in operation or those looking to come into the market shortly.
People can now plan their trips around your glamping listing rather than find it when they search a particular region.
If you’re looking into a glamping listing of your own, here are some resources for you:
- How to write a luxury glamping business plan (with template)
- 5 reasons to build your own glamping resort in New Zealand or Australia
- 2022 AirBnB income opportunity: Geodesic Glamping Domes
- AirBnB Press Release - 2022
Additionally, you can take a look at our range of geodesic glamping domes or speak directly to our knowledgable team.