AIRBNB is expanding its Business Travel programme globally, rolling out new tools to make Airbnb easier to use for companies, as part of its efforts to expand its popularity beyond the leisure travel market.
The new suite of tools allow visibility into employee travel itineraries booked through Airbnb, as well as providing financial reporting data and central billing systems.
Three components — the Activity, Reporting and Employees tabs — make up the new product suite.
On the Activity Tab, travel managers can catalogue current and upcoming employee trips. The Reporting Tab allows the collection and management of booking reports, while with the Employees Tab, administrators can manage approved and pending employees who have been permitted to book trips through Airbnb.
The global launch of the Business Travel programme comes on the heels of a 700 per cent year-on-year growth. Since it went live last July, more than 250 companies have joined up, including companies like Google and SoundCloud.
Companies that sign up for Airbnb’s Business Travel programme between now and September 1, 2015 will be eligible for a special promotion. Business travellers at enrolled companies will receive US$50 in Airbnb credit to use towards their first corporate travel booking.
More information is available on the programme website.
