Airbnb tests an app that plans your trips
Airbnb Trips helps you see the sights on your vacation.
Airbnb's efforts to plan your whole trip, not just your stay, just got a little more concrete. The home rental outfit is testing an Airbnb Trips app for Android (an iOS version should also be in the works) that shows you what to do once you've unpacked your bags. You can flip through a guidebook of local attractions, not just the tourist traps, and set an itinerary to keep you moving during your vacation. The test is closed to the public, but it's just as well. A Bloomberg source says that the features and even the name could change between now and launch, so what you see now may not be representative.
It's not certain just when Airbnb Trips will be ready, although Bloomberg believes the company may use its yearly conference in November for a debut. The Information recently claimed that Airbnb would kick off a program that pays hosts to recommend restaurants and offer tours, and it wouldn't be surprising if the two are related. One thing's for sure: Airbnb appears bent on cornering your whole travel experience, rather than leaving the tourism to outsiders like TripAdvisor.
