Airbnb on Tuesday introduced a slew of recent options together with a translation software to be launched later this yr and expanded insurance coverage for hosts, as easing COVID-19 curbs ship extra folks to its home-rental app.

The options, aimed toward facilitating rising cross-border journey and longer stays, will assist Airbnb additional capitalize on a pandemic-driven shift in client desire in direction of non-urban locations and different lodging.

“What you’re going to see is as the world moves into a post COVID-19 world, people are going to travel a lot more than they did before, certainly a lot more than they do now,” Airbnb Chief Executive Officer Brian Chesky informed Reuters in an interview.

Chesky expects the brand new software, which is able to have the ability to translate itemizing descriptions and critiques in 60 languages, to assist in bookings, particularly in Europe and Asia Pacific the place there may be excessive demand for cross-border journey.

Airbnb stated greater than 100,000 visitors stayed on its rental properties for not less than three straight months up to now yr.

Its “AirCover” insurance coverage will supply hosts safety towards pet injury as international searches surge on its platform for pet-friendly listings.

Truist analyst Naved Khan expects the most recent upgrades to drive incremental progress at Airbnb. The brokerage maintains its “hold” ranking on the inventory.

Months of pent-up demand triggered a serious spike in bookings to the United States on Monday, because the nation lifted pandemic-driven journey curbs imposed in early 2020.

Overall cross-border journey has risen steadily to 33 % of gross nights booked within the third quarter, in contrast with 27 % within the second and 20 % within the first quarter, Airbnb stated.

As of November 8, the highest locations for inbound international journey to the United States embody Los Angeles, Miami, and New York, in response to Airbnb.

© Thomson Reuters 2021