After seeing the major business destinations tighten their regulations against it, Airbnb appeared destined to lose ground. This is particularly true in the business travel segment, where the offer Airbnb for Work which has been keeping a low profile, to say the least, since the health crisis. The American giant is now bouncing back by teaming up with another 'new entrant' in the business travel sector: TravelPerk.
The partnership between the accommodation platform and TMC, spotted by our colleagues at DéplacementsPros, was announced at the end of February by the business travel agency. TMC, which was co-founded by Avi Meir - formerly of Booking.com - announced on its blog: "We are delighted to be associated with Airbnb and offer our customers managed access to its vast inventory of over 8 million active listings in 100,000 cities worldwide. Through this partnership, our customers will benefit from dedicated Airbnb booking management support and enhanced customer service via a dedicated helpline provided by us."
The post, signed by TravelPerk Chairman and COO Jean-Christophe Taunay-Bucalo, makes no secret of the target audience for this partnership integration. Namely the long-stay business trips. " This new partnership will meet the growing demand for longer stays (over 28 days) with unique homestay options at a range of prices and with high-quality facilities and comfort for working remotely. "says Jean-Christophe Taunay-Bucalo.
MICE in the spotlight
Closer ties with Airbnb - which should enable TravelPerk of stay one step ahead of the competition "targets another pro segment: the MICE. Jean-Christophe Taunay-Bucalo explains: "Managed access to Airbnb listings also strengthens TravelPerk's offering for MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions) and group bookings, as demand continues to grow for off-site events and social events that bring hybrid workforces together in person".
According to data relayed by TravelPerk, the inventory of Airbnb now exceeds 8 million active ads in 100,000 towns and cities from all over the world.
