Airbnb pilots ‘handcrafted trips’ in travel-orientated pivot named Journeys
Airbnb is moving beyond accommodation bookings by offering ‘hand-crafted’ package holidays in a new pilot service.
During September, Airbnb users who browse accommodation in the San Francisco area without following through with a booking will be invited to a beta test of a new holiday booking service called ‘Journeys’.
The invitation reads: “We’re reinventing travel - again - and we’d love you to be a part of history. During the first two weeks of December, we’re piloting a new Airbnb experience: handcrafted trips.
“We’re extending a limited number of invitations to friends of friends and travelers who are excited to explore the city of San Francisco in an entirely new way – with the locals who live here.”
These personalised trips carry a flat fee coming in three or five day bundles. They will be managed to the point that users will even be picked up from airport in a Lyft car.
The Next Web reports that activities include "hiking, biking, kayaking and sailing, foodie dinner parties… tours of favorite craft cocktail bars, catered/take out lunches or picnics, wellness activities such as yoga, meditation and more".
The move comes weeks after e-commerce giant Amazon shuttered its 'Destinations' service, a US weekend getaway operation with a relatively similar structure to 'Journeys'.