Worldwide: Airbnb has announced the launch of a new programme – ‘Live Anywhere on Airbnb’ – which will see 12 people from across the world live exclusively in properties listed on the home-sharing platform, in a nod to the growing shift towards remote working and flexible living.
The company is specifically seeking a diverse range of individuals from different backgrounds, whether they are remote workers, creative types, empty nesters, young families or something else. The programme will last for 12 consecutive months between July 2021 and July 2022, with ten months allocated for travelling, and the participants will be granted assistance with listing selections and local Experiences.
Each participant will share their experiences with Airbnb to help inform its future product upgrades and allow it to gain fresh insights into potential innovations where the company could better facilitate nomadic living. Airbnb will also cover all of the costs for each accommodation and provide a transport allowance during the year-long programme.
The Airbnb Report on Travel & Living reports that the share of stays 28 days or longer on Airbnb has increased by ten per cent in nights booked when comparing 2019 to Q1 2021. Meanwhile, 11 per cent of longer-term bookers said they would live a nomadic lifestyle in 2021, while 74 per cent of consumers surveyed across five countries intimated that they would like to live in a separate location to their employer when the pandemic has eased.
Throughout the programme, the individuals will be tasked with helping to shape the future of long-term living on Airbnb, in the following ways:
- Product changes and resources to help improve the long-term living experience
- Ideal types of accommodations for solo travellers or groups e.g. families
- Connections to local community members and businesses
- A better understanding of financial benefits of hosting while travelling
Hosts who list their primary residence on Airbnb, as well as people who would like to become hosts on the platform, will also be eligible to enter the programme.
Individuals interested in applying to the Live Anywhere programme have until 30 June 2021 to submit their applications at the following link.
The lucky 12 should be 18 years of age or older and will be selected by a panel of interviewers next month. They will then begin their travels in September 2021.
