In response to the rise of remote work and the number of customers opting for longer stays, Airbnb revealed new ways to look for and book properties on the platform on Wednesday.

When possibilities for longer stays are limited, the new features include the ability to split vacations between two homes more simply and a search engine that surfaces properties based on specific criteria, such as whether the house has "creative areas," or a chef's kitchen, or a pool. The enhancements were announced during a business keynote event in advance of the crucial summer travel season.

The way people travel has permanently altered "Airbnb co-founder and CEO Brian Chesky stated in a statement before the event. Chesky praised the new features, describing them as "the most significant improvement to Airbnb in a decade

The news comes as Airbnb recently stated that sales have picked up after the pandemic's impact on the travel industry. Airbnb reported $1.5 billion in quarterly sales in its most recent earnings report, up 70% from the same period last year.

Nearly half of the nights booked on Airbnb in the last three months were for visits of a week or longer, according to the website. This shift in demand, according to Chesky, is being met by the new Split Stays function, which allows consumers to book back-to-back stays at multiple homes in the same area.
When searching for longer stays, Airbnb customers will typically see roughly 40% more listings with this option, which will appear automatically in search results, according to the firm.