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Airbnb may be branded more for the leisure traveler, but it's been quietly building itself up as a destination for the business traveler. According to Airbnb, the site's Business Travel program has grown by 700 percent since its inception last July. More than 250 companies have already joined the program, including Google, TBWA, Twilio and SoundCloud.
Today, Airbnb is taking the Business Travel program global with the introduction a new expanded suite of tools for companies.
The new global product suite allows companies around the world to sign in to Airbnb and access a variety of features designed to make the corporate travel planning process easier. Companies can now easily view employee travel itineraries booked through Airbnb, scan financial reporting data and monitor central billing.
The product is comprised of three main components: the Activity Tab, the Reporting Tab, and the Employees Tab.
The Activity Tab catalogues current and upcoming employee trips, including trip dates, location, date booked, trip status, number of people in each party, and an interactive map.
The Reporting Tab allows travel managers to collect and manage booking reports for the entire organization, as well as export financial data and reports.
The Employees Tab is for managing approved and pending employees who have been permitted to book business travel via Airbnb.
"Our employees worldwide appreciate the choice and flexibility that Airbnb listings provide them when they're on the road - whether for conferences, meetings, or team offsites," said Darragh Ormsby, global travel manager of Google, via a release. "It's great that Googlers can easily access Airbnb's wide range of accommodations as they make their travel plans."
"As a global company with offices in Berlin, San Francisco, New York, and London, we expect many of our employees to book business trips in 2015, and Airbnb's new solution provides us with a great set of tools," added Caoimhe Keogan, VP People, SoundCloud. "Having this type of added visibility into past, present, and future trips allows us to improve our employee experience while they are traveling."
Airbnb Business Travel accommodates both big and small companies. By opting in, a company can not only start booking Airbnb accommodations, but expenses can also be sent directly back to the business. The streamlined and integrated payment system is also ideal for small businesses to save time and monitor money.
Companies that sign up for Airbnb's Business Travel program between now and Sept. 1, 2015 will be eligible for a special promotion. Business travelers at enrolled companies will receive $50 in Airbnb credit to use towards their first corporate travel booking.
Airbnb features accommodations in more than 34,000 cities and 190 countries around the globe.
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