THRIVE ISSUE 5 DECEMBER 2024 7 We have radically transformed our customer experience on the platform. What we have done is that we have been able to use AI to intelligently help bog down customer service agents – automating the things that will take them a lot of time so that they have time for the important human interaction that need empathy, trust and kindness. The other thing which I think is interesting is that you can completely redefine the search experience. We’ve used AI and machine learning to categorise our listings. So, now you can really be specific about the type of place you want to stay in terms of elements such as the amenities, the type of area and even the weather. From that type of search you begin to see all types of destinations that you may have never thought of will emerge. These are simply two trends to highlight. However the point I aim to drive is that if we want to triple our contribution to GDP, we have to embrace these trends. We cannot be left behind and we have to really be relevant. What we have done at Airbnb over the last year is that we have evolved our experiences into something called icons. Taking our iconic stays and matching them to people who are iconic in the Gen-Z space. So in the last year we recreated the house from the movie UP, where you can fly with balloons. We have recreated the Barbie house. For the opening of the 2024 Olympics you could stay in the clock tower and watch it. But we have also created experiences with people like Khaby Lame, the most followed individual on the TikTok platform or Doja Cat who is also an incredible influencer. I think the opportunity for us is to have a lot more fun with our brand. We have an amazing destination, we have iconic experiences, we have iconic people. The question to ask is how are we creating iconic experiences with Siya Kolisi or Trevor Noah that really show the pride in South Africa and put us in the fabric of popular culture. From an Airbnb perspective I look forward to creating the next iconic experience in South Africa. Embracing AI This trend speaks to the power of technology, specifically AI to redefine the customer experience. I think we are all a little bit scared of AI. The truth is that we are still in the beginning stages of this journey but AI is likely to become a bigger driver than the advent of the internet. What we are doing at the moment is that we are building the “highways”, we are building the foundations. If you look at your phone at the moment, the apps have not transformed dramatically yet. Those changes are going to come in the next five to ten years. What we are seeing at Airbnb though is that there is an opportunity through AI to put people back at the centre of the experience rather than replacing them. It sounds counter-intuitive but bear with me for a moment. Click here to watch the full panel discussion from the Tourism Leadership Conference 2024
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