Airbnb targets one billion guests per year by 2028

As Airbnb ushers in its tenth year in business, the home-share titan has announced a new “Roadmap” designed to bring annual guest count to more than one billion by 2028.

The Roadmap targets Airbnb’s core Homes business across four new property types – Vacation Home, Unique, B&B and Boutiques – as well as new tiers including Airbnb Plus and Beyond by Airbnb.

The string of announcements follows its decision to open up the platform to hotel distribution earlier this month.

Occasion-specific offerings through Airbnb Collections are also on tap, as is investing back in the community with a revamped Superhost program and new guest membership program.

The idea behind the company’s four new property types- which join its current roster of Shared Space, Private Room and Entire Home - is to give more choice of accommodation to guests, provide transparency over availability and better help hosts showcase their unique offerings.

The host tools allow for “unprecedented level of detail in the travel industry” and increase search ability to better meet traveler preference.

Homes on the new Airbnb Plus tier are personally verified for quality and comfort. Hosts for the listings – starting with 2,000 homes in 13 cities – will benefit from top placement, design consultation and premium support.

The luxury tier is now branded Beyond by Airbnb. Launching this spring, it will offer “custom designed trips of a lifetime” at the finest homes and custom experiences and world-class hospitality.

Other products coming down the pipe

Airbnb Collections will center on homes suited toward a diverse range of traveler needs including Airbnb for Family and Airbnb for Work; Social stays for weddings, honeymoons, group getaways and dinner parties will arrive later this year.

Maintaining a focus on hosts and guests, the Superhost program – which currently includes 400,000 guests globally – will expand to offer 14 new benefits including better exposure, custom URLs and exclusive benefits on smarthome products.

Guests will be rewarded with Superguest membership, which will initially launch to 10,000 guests as a trial this summer.

These updates fall in line with Airbnb’s mission to become a 21st century company that operates in the interests of its stakeholders, including hosts and guests.

“Ten years ago we never dreamed of what Airbnb could become,” CEO and head of community Brian Chesky says.

“In fact, people thought the idea that strangers would stay in each other’s homes was crazy. Today, millions of people every night do just that. But we want to go further by supporting and expanding our community so that in 10 years time, more than one billion people per year will experience the benefits of magical travel on Airbnb.”

* This reporter's attendance at the event was supported by Airbnb.