According to the CEO of accommodation provider AirBnb, the pandemic has irrevocably transformed the way people travel.
According to Brian Chesky, the distinctions between business and leisure travel are becoming increasingly blurred as a result of remote working patterns.
He also stated that individuals are opting for lengthier vacations with family and friends in order to experience greater “human connection.”
“I believe what we’re witnessing today is a complete change in how we travel,” Mr Chesky added.
“We used to live in one location, our home, commute to another location, the office, and travel to a third location. And now all three of those points have come together “Added he.
“All we have to believe is that companies will not force everyone to return to work five days a week to realize that everything has changed forever.”
When the pandemic hit, AirBnB was heavily hit, losing nearly all of its business in a matter of months.
Mr Chesky, on the other hand, claimed that demand had rebounded strongly since last summer, despite changing consumer habits.
He claimed that Zoom and other remote-working technology had “fundamentally transformed” the requirement to travel for business, a trend that is expected to continue.
Instead, many were opting to live and work away from home for “a month or the entire summer,” rather than just a few days or weeks.
Mr Chesky explained, “Some folks are deciding to hop around and not even have permanent residences.”
People are wanting increased “human connection” from travel in a second major shift, he added, as they spend more time alone working from home.
Extended weekend bookings by families on AirBnB increased by 70% in the second quarter of 2021 compared to the same period in 2019.
This year, the firm has noticed “measurable increases” in the number of nights reserved for bigger listings and family vacations.
A New Future For Travel
As a result, Mr Chesky claims that people are exploring new and less expensive places and focusing less on tourist hubs.
“The globe will never be the same again, and travel will never be the same again. It’s not that nothing from the old world will return; it’s simply that we don’t travel back in time; instead, we travel ahead “Mr. Chesky explained.
Airbnb, which first opened its doors in 2007, also revealed that one billion guests have visited its listings throughout the world.
It went on to say that it now has more listings than the top six hotel brands in the world combined.
Despite its popularity, the lodging platform has been chastised for allegedly driving up prices in some regions by removing long-term rentals from the market.
Protests have taken place in places including San Francisco and Barcelona, as well as stricter rules for short-term home rental firms.
