SAN FRANCISCO—Airbnb has launched Online Experiences, a new way for people to connect, travel virtually and earn income during the COVID-19 crisis. With communities around the world staying home to protect their own health and the health of others, people can’t pursue routine activities like going to work, exercising or pursuing a passion. Now, Online Experiences will change that by allowing hosts to earn an income in these uncertain times, and bring their transformative virtual experience to millions of guests.
Airbnb Experiences offers an array of options like meditation with Buddhist monks, virtual visits with the dogs of Chernobyl, cooking with a Moroccan family and more. With people sheltering in place, Online Experiences provides the following:
- New activities for families to explore, like learning the secrets of magic
- Options for work colleagues who want to reconnect and bond with team activities, like making coffee with a professional coffee taster
- Features for groups looking to celebrate birthdays or get togethers privately, and the option to request specific dates for experiences like bartending with experts
Online Experiences unlocks access to hosts from more than 30 different countries, including Olympic medalists Alistair Brownlee and Lauren Gibbs. Whether a HIIT workout, learning about nutrition with a bobsledder or a virtual bike tour, guests can now connect with some of the most celebrated athletes in the world from the comforts of their own living room.
“Human connection is at the core of what we do,” said Catherine Powell, head of Airbnb Experiences. “With so many people needing to stay indoors to protect their health, we want to provide an opportunity for our hosts to connect with our global community of guests in the only way possible right now—online.”
To help those who are most isolated, like older adults, Airbnb has partnered with local organizations around the world to curate experiences for their communities to be able to learn a new skill while protecting their health. Airbnb will work alongside the following to offer Experiences free of charge:
- SAGE, an organization dedicated to improving the lives of LGBT older people
- National Council on Aging (NCOA), a partner in the U.S. helping people aged 60+ meet the challenges of aging
- Associazione Nazionale Alpini—Sezione di Milan, veterans of the military corp in Italy
- Amigos de los Mayores, an organization combating unwanted loneliness and social isolation amongst the elderly in Spain
“Millions of elders aren’t able to go outside and risk their health due to the current crisis, and need activities to help them stay connected to the world around them,” said Michael Adams, CEO, SAGE. “Through our partnership with Airbnb, SAGE is able to give older members of LGBT communities across the country an opportunity to not only meet other people, but also learn a new hobby and travel to nearly anywhere around the world, all from the safety of their home. This is what partnership and connection is all about.”
Booking opens immediately with more than 50 virtual Airbnb Experiences available, with thousands more coming online in the coming months. Online Experiences will be hosted on Zoom, and Airbnb is providing Hosts access to Zoom free of charge along with personalized support services for curating and sharing their Online Experience.
With Airbnb’s ‘in-person’ Experiences suspended through the end of April to protect the safety and well-being of hosts and guests, Airbnb is leveraging its technology platform to help its hosts continue to earn, while also allowing guests to learn a new skill, safely connect with others, or pursue an interest.
Highlights of Online Experiences include the following:
- Meditation with a Japanese Buddhist Monk (Osaka, Japan)
- Secrets of Magic (London)
- Mystical Coffee and Fortune Reading (New York)
- Quarantinis, GINspiration at Home (Bath, United Kingdom)
- Learn to Cook Mexican Salsas (Mexico City)
- Irish Dance Masterclass (Galway, Ireland)
- Remote Rescue Goats (Catskills, NY)
- Virtual Bike Tour with 2x Gold Medalist Triathlete—Alistair Brownlee (Yorkshire, United Kingdom)
- Sonoma Ricotta Cheese Making and More (Sonoma, CA)
- Guided Meditation with Sleepy Sheep (Loch Lomond, United Kingdom)
- Grandma’s Pasta (Rome)
- Coffee Lessons with National Judge (Mexico City)
- Family Baking Experience (San Francisco)
- K-BEAUTY 101 with a TV Host (Seoul, South Korea)
- Dogs of Chernobyl (Chernobyl, Ukraine)
- Join a Rollerskating Dance Party (Brooklyn, NY)
- Cooking Class with Moroccan Family (Marrakech, Morocco)
- Make the Perfect Chinese Steamed Bun (Singapore)
- Interior Design Workshop (San Francisco)
- Sketch with a NYC Artist (New York)
- Swedish Pastries with a Professional Baker (Stockholm)
- Day in the Life of an Olympic Bobsledder (Los Angeles)
