Airbnb aims for the corporate traveller

Airbnb seems to be throwing its weight around, pulling in partnerships from a variety of industries. According to Airbnb, in the first six months of launching ‘Airbnb for Business’, more than 50,000 employees of more than 5,000 businesses completed bookings. This was an opportunity the organisation jumped on in 2016, with key corporate travel agents such as BCD Travel and Carlson Wagonlit Travel. Airbnb was able to integrate data solutions for business travel with BCD Travel, providing customers with data based on security and risk management. They also released key findings in conjunction with CWT Solutions about the business traveller by analysing trends.

Airbnb is aggressively working to broaden its reach with corporate customers after declaring ambitions to double its business customer base by 2020. Presently, business travellers represent roughly 15% of the company’s business, and the company is targeting growth to 30% over the next three years.

Airbnb is positioning itself to captialise on the ever blurring lines between business and leisure travel. The company estimates that more than 50% of business trips booked on its listed properties in 2016 included a Saturday night stay. Airbnb urges business travellers not to put their lives on hold when they hit the road. The same could be said for the company’s ambitions to become a disruptor in the business travel space.

We sat down with Airbnb Business Travel & Partnerships Lead Bond Leung on the sidelines of the 2017 ACTE-CAPA Global Conference Sydney to find out what Airbnb is doing to help the procurement process, using technology and managing relationships.

Watch our exclusive interview below: