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Airbnb Home-Sharing App Launches 'Trips' In Sydney

You can now book things to do in addition to where you stay.
Plan the rest of your trip from the same app you book your accommodation on.
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Plan the rest of your trip from the same app you book your accommodation on.

Following on from the global announcement of 'Trips' at the Airbnb Open in Los Angeles in November, the home-sharing giant launched the service in Sydney on Tuesday.

"Until now, Airbnb has been about homes. But around two years ago, we started to ask the question -- what does it actually mean to travel?" said Brian Chesky, Airbnb CEO during a keynote speech late last year.

"Travel is about the easy escape to magical worlds but in reality, you spend as much time planning the trip as going on the trip. We want to change that," Chesky said.

Trips allows users to expand beyond accommodation -- bringing together where they stay, what they do, and the people they meet all in one place.

Designed to make travel easy, Trips covers three key areas: Experiences, Places and Homes.

Experiences offers access to locals from the area who are happy to share their passions and interests. Nearly 20 Sydney experiences are available now to book online. Recommended by the likes of chef Neil Perry and surfer Mark Matthews to everyday Aussies and professional tour guides, there's a range of unique things to do.

Places include recommendations and hidden gems from local insiders in the know, with 34 Sydney Guidebooks now live. Think along the lines of beaches and rock pools that inspired Ken Done, to designer Collette Dinnigan's most loved boutiques and fashion haunts around Sydney.

Homes reminds us where it all started. With three million homes available to book across 191 countries, in Australia alone there are more than 115,000 listings. Sydney is ranked among Airbnb's top 10 cities globally, offering 22,000 local properties for visitors to choose from.

"Since we launched Trips at Airbnb Open last November, we've been overwhelmed by the positive feedback and interest we're seeing from hosts and travellers alike. Everyone is eager to experience a different side of a city whilst immersing themselves in local communities," Vice President of Product and one of Airbnb's first employees, Joe Zadeh said in a brand statement.

"Trips gives people travelling to Sydney the opportunity to feel like they can truly belong anywhere, which is integral to Airbnb's global community. For local Sydneysiders, they can participate in and contribute to local tourism, sharing their skills and favourite experiences with others, whilst making a little extra money from their interests and passions. It's a great way for people to discover new things to do, meet new people, and play tourist in their own backyard."

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