SAN FRANCISCO -- Airbnb is adding recommendations to its online accommodations service, building on its knowledge of travellers' preferences, coupled with tips from locals.
The company, which lets out-of-town visitors find people renting out homes and rooms, says it wants to help travellers get off the beaten path by showing alternatives to well-known, often-crowded, attractions.
CEO Brian Chesky says Airbnb's mobile apps will match travellers with hosts and neighbourhoods based on their previous searches and bookings. It will also weight their questions about amenities or experiences they prefer.
The recommendations will let Airbnb show more listings outside the most-travelledneighbourhoods, although visitors can still make their own selections.
Airbnb will also recommend activities, based on hosts' tips, which Chesky says will help visitors see what it's like to live in a city.
