Airbnb is testing a new trip-planning app that acts as a travel agent, booking everything from meals to transportation. The successful concierge service was previously limited to only making capital from a traveler's accommodations. However, with the potential to take a cut from all the aspects of a trip -- 'Journey' takes care of every detail.
Journey offers a fixed-price trip that includes the previously mentioned basics. The service also offers a local resident who acts as a tour guide -- taking visitors to the coolest party, hippest restaurant and favorite holes in the wall. By providing this custom tailored trip, those who find figuring out what to do in a new city overwhelming are provided for. Currently tested in San Francisco, the new trip-planning app opens Airbnb up to a larger market with more room for business.
Key Themes Behind This Trend
- All-inclusive Travel Apps
- There are opportunities for developing travel apps that offer more than just accommodations by including transportation, meals, and local experiences.
- Custom-tailored Trip Planning
- There is potential for creating trip-planning apps that allow for personalization and customization of travel arrangements for each individual traveler.
- Local Resident Tour Guide Services
- Developing apps that offer personalized tours by local resident tour guides is a potential opportunity for those in the travel industry.
Where This Applies
- Travel and Hospitality
- Developing an all-inclusive travel app or a custom-tailored trip planning app could be a great opportunity for new businesses in the travel and hospitality industry.
- Mobile App Development
- As more and more users prefer to use mobile apps for travel planning, there are opportunities for entrepreneurs in the mobile app development industry.
- Tourism
- Incorporating local resident tour guide services into travel planning could be an innovative approach for the tourism industry.
