On June 13, Airbnb announced it has been working with the Adventure Travel Trade Association (ATTA) as the company launched its Airbnb Adventures. With quality at the core of Airbnb’s value proposition to guests, the ATTA’s expertise was drawn on to deepen Airbnb’s support to hosts and guests by providing safety tips, best practices, and the latest research specific to multi-day and remote adventures.
Airbnb Adventures are an extension of Airbnb Experiences, bookable tours and activities. Airbnb Experiences are currently being offered in more than 1,000 destinations globally with 30,000 experiences worldwide — phenomenal growth since launching Airbnb Experiences less than three years ago. While typical Airbnb Experiences tend to be a few hours or a full day, Adventures are multi-day excursions that include an activity, lodging, and meals, and are often conducted in remote areas.
For many years, the ATTA has been a trusted voice and advisor for adventure travel around the world. The organization’s mission is to empower a global travel community to deliver experiences that protect natural and cultural capital while creating shared economic value. This type of advisory relationship is not new to the association; the ATTA advises governments, destinations, and travel companies and organizations globally on developing safe, responsible, and, therefore, high-quality adventure travel experiences.
“This affiliation between the ATTA and Airbnb is one rooted in a key belief that travel has vast potential to make the world a better place,” said Shannon Stowell, CEO of the ATTA. “As the industry rapidly expands and as adventure travel experiences become more readily available online, we have an opportunity to help guide the industry’s inevitable growth in a positive and meaningful way.”
Airbnb has unveiled 200 Adventures with its launch and will continue to count on the ATTA for support as it expands the types of adventures offered.
"At Airbnb, we believe that everyone deserves to have a transformational experience. Through Airbnb Adventures, we want to create the opportunity for hosts to offer the kind of immersions and cross-cultural connections that people want, but have not always been able to afford," said Joe Zadeh, vice president, head of Airbnb Experiences. "With more travelers seeking adventure than ever before, we look forward to continuing to work with the ATTA to promote safety and best practices.”
“With our vast network of members and partners, we believe no other tourism association has the global reach across so many activities, which is why we feel it is our responsibility to share best practices and support the growth of adventure travel through all distribution channels,” said Casey Hanisko, the ATTA’s president. “The demand for ATTA’s advisory services is because adventure travel, once reserved for only the most skilled and affluent travelers, is now desired by and accessible to a much broader audience. This is great news for the industry, especially if safety standards are raised and best practices are shared and followed.”