Airbnb launches guided tours by locals
Airbnb Inc., the San Francisco-based company best known for facilitating short-term property rentals, is launching guided tours hosted by locals in Toronto, with Vancouver to follow later this year.
Airbnb debuted its tour service, known as Trips, in 12 cities in November. The company is inviting would-be tour guides to submit proposals for personalized tours of restaurants, sights or other activities they’d like to offer travellers, with Airbnb taking a cut of all bookings as it does for accommodations.
Andrea La Mesa, Airbnb’s director of Trips, said Toronto’s size and diversity made it a great candidate for the service’s Canada launch. Tours offered in Toronto will include a sampling of the Danforth’s best Greek restaurants by a food blogger who grew up in the neighbourhood and a visit to a robotics lab.
“We think Trips is great, not only for travellers coming to Toronto and exploring neighbourhoods that are off the beaten path, but also for locals to discover other parts of the city,” La Mesa said.
Airbnb has grown from scrappy tech startup to hospitality giant. Its last funding round valued the company at US$30 billion, more than the market capitalizations of major international hotel chains like Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc. and Hyatt Hotels Corp.
The company’s explosive growth has caused controversy, with cities struggling to determine whether property rented through the site should be regulated like hotel rooms, apartment leases or something entirely new. With most urban markets now offering a large supply of Airbnb rentals ranging from living room futons to luxurious penthouses, the company is looking to expand into other areas of the tourism industry.
La Mesa said Trips is just the first step in Airbnb’s plan to expand beyond accommodations. He said he can see Trips accounting for a significant portion of the company’s revenue in the future.
“We want to service the entire trip,” La Mesa said. “We want to make it easy, removing all the logistical problems you might have when you travel, such as transportation or finding specific services, and make it magical.”
La Mesa said Airbnb plans to differentiate itself from conventional guided tours by offering more intimate and personal experiences. Would-be tour guides must apply before hosting, explaining why they’re qualified to lead the trips.
Food blogger and photographer Jim Bamboulis is one of about 10 Toronto Trips hosts selected for the launch of the service. He plans to lead the tour of Greek food on Danforth Ave., taking groups of up to six people to his favourite spots for coffee, lunch and pastries.