CEO Brian Chesky on travel trends and our new Host campaign

Last year was challenging for all of us. As we move into a new year, we will focus on what makes Airbnb, Airbnb—Hosts like you. We’re launching a new global Host campaign that celebrates the magical, unique hospitality you make possible.

We’re delighted to show you three of the films from the campaign here. Read on for travel trends and insights for 2021—and what these could mean for you.

When travel returns, it’ll be different. We’ve been conducting surveys, and we’re optimistic about the future of travel. We want you to feel prepared for when things open back up, so we’re sharing some of our insights with you.

1. We believe people miss traveling and plan to travel. More than bars, restaurants, sports, or other live events, people miss traveling. In one survey, 54% of people said they either already booked a trip, or expect to travel in 2021.

What this means for you: People can’t wait to travel again and when they’re able to, we anticipate significant pent-up demand which will be directed to you. We will continue to provide support to help you prepare.

2. We believe people will be flexible on where and when they travel. Remote work and learning are here to stay, so people will have more flexibility with travel. This’ll likely impact where, when, and how long people stay—for example, there may be more demand for off-peak days of the week and times of the year. Nearly a quarter of those we surveyed said they envision longer stays.

What this means for you: Be ready to adapt to new guest needs, like offering longer stays, upgrading wifi, setting up a laptop-friendly workspace, and including amenities suitable for families and people with disabilities. 

3. We believe people will want to travel nearby. In our survey, 56% of people said they prefer a domestic or local destination. Just 21% said they want to travel farther away and internationally.

What this means for you: Guests will go anywhere—as long as it’s nearby. This means travel will likely disperse to thousands of smaller cities, towns, and rural communities. 

4. We believe people will prioritize affordability. Those we surveyed said affordability was the top priority in choosing accommodations for future travel. The pandemic has hit a lot of people hard financially, but the desire to travel and connect is universal.

What this means for you: This trend should serve many of you well, as families and groups of friends choose Airbnb for offering great value.

5. We believe people want to travel to connect with family and friends. People we surveyed said they most miss the type of travel that allows for time with family and friends. Reconnection continues to be a top motivation for traveling. In our survey, 41% said connecting with family and friends will be "much more important" post-pandemic.

What this means for you: We’ll notice a shift from mass travel to meaningful travel, and bookings from families and groups of friends who want to reconnect. And connection is what you make possible, through hosting.

Our global Host campaign starts this month—and we want Hosts to be among the first in the world to experience the films. Each one celebrates the magical, unique experiences you make possible for guests. From the little touches to the big gestures—this is what makes hosted travel on Airbnb so special.

This campaign is designed to show what makes our Host community on Airbnb different, and to drive business to you as travel returns. The stories we’re telling in these films are simple and authentic. They feature guests on real trips to real listings, photographing their experiences. And as you’ll notice in the films, the trips are anything but ordinary.

We want to inspire guests all over the world to choose Airbnb when they start to travel again. To help us spread the magic you create, we would love you to share these films with your friends and family, so we have made the three clips above shareable content.

You can also find the replay of our Host Premiere Event below, where CEO Brian Chesky shares more on these travel trends and previews the campaign live with Hosts across the world. He also chats with Hosts François, whose space was featured in the “Landslide” film.