Airbnb wants to secure users who travel alone. With its new Solo Traveler function, the platform offers special options for sharing practical information with loved ones.
Tourism is resuming around the world after two years of a pandemic which has slowed down all travel, for the greater good of professionals in the sector. This thirst for travel is even reinforced today with the phenomenon of “Living everywhere” (Live Anywhere), a nomadic lifestyle that involves traveling the planet by temporarily settling in a foreign country and working remotely, via the Internet. Whether it’s for a change of scenery during a vacation, to meet other cultures or to live elsewhere, more and more people are traveling alone. A very enriching experience, but which can sometimes be scary, especially for women, who are more often annoyed. And it is precisely to reassure and secure solo travelers that Airbnb has developed a function called Solo Traveler, which offers special options.
Airbnb: more security for those who travel alone
There are many advantages to traveling alone: getting out of your comfort zone, taking time for yourself and refocusing, opening up to the possibility of new encounters… But it also means being more vulnerable in the event of a problem, especially by in relation to the issue of security. As he announced in his press release, Airbnb noticed that 26% of nights booked on its platform in 2021 were by single people. This fact is all the more significant since at the start of 2022, more than half of long stays were booked by solo travellers. A change that prompted Airbnb to offer new functions to reassure its users about their safety. Initially thought for women in particular, these options are ultimately for everyone.
For a year, the platform worked to develop the Solo Traveler function. If a user books for a single person on Airbnb, the application offers them a special interface, including advice for safe solo travel. It is also possible to share a lot of information about your stay with loved ones, such as the dates of the trip, the location of the Airbnb accommodation or the reservation number. Finally, Airbnb now allows you to ask questions about the host, the neighborhood or the people who also occupy the accommodation. What to leave with a lighter spirit!
For the moment, these new functions are only available for English-speaking users wishing to book private or shared rooms. But there is no doubt that they will soon be extended to other countries and to entire homes.