Airbnb’s Core Values and Why They're Important

Airbnb drastically changed how we travel and much of that is thanks to its Airbnb values. Its core values have not only opened the world to all types of travelers from all over the world, but it has also given countless people from all walks of life the opportunity to start their own businesses or side hustle.

Whether you’re already hosting on Airbnb or thinking of joining the millions of property managers, co-hosts, and hosts, you know that Airbnb is a coveted marketing place. It’s become a household name and is highly recognized in the hospitality industry.

In this article, you’ll learn why these Airbnb core values are the most important thing for any host or property manager to understand before listing their space on Airbnb. How does your mission align with the company’s mission? We’ll explore how these core values are at work behind the scenes, guiding all aspects of the business from product development to policy decisions, customer service management to operations.

We’ll also look at how you can align your business strategies with these core values to build a successful and sustainable business on Airbnb.

What Is Airbnb’s Mission Statement?

At its core, Airbnb is driven by a simple mission statement with bold ambitions:

“To create a world where anyone can belong anywhere.”

At the same time, they want to create an end-to-end platform that will be able to take care of every part of travelers’ trips.

It’s this mission to create a true feeling of belonging, while at the same time providing convenience that’s the unique selling proposition of the company. They strive to provide travelers with an experience that’s both rewarding, comfortable, and user-friendly.

It also ensures that hosts and property managers are able to benefit from the platform in a meaningful way. They’re given a platform to offer their hospitality services to guests from all over the world.

Exploring Airbnb’s Values

Airbnb is guided by four core values.

These are:

• Champion the mission
• Be a host
• Embrace the adventure
• Be a cereal entrepreneur

As you’ll see, the Airbnb mission statement is reiterated in the first value — champion the mission. It’s ingrained in the company culture that everyone, irrespective of their sexual orientation, gender identity, language, age, etc., should feel welcome.

The first value ties in with the second one. To them, being a host means that you’re caring, open, and encouraging to all.

However, the company recognizes that creating such an inclusive platform is a challenging process. Similarly to their users embarking on an adventure, the company and its employees also have their own journey. Airbnb believes that its bold mission is an adventure too and one that they’re going to embrace. To do that, they’re driven by positivity and curiosity combined with a belief that anyone can grow.

What Do These Values Emphasize?

Together these Airbnb core values emphasize community, safety, trust, innovation, respect, and inclusivity. They serve as reminders for Airbnb employees, hosts, and property managers that the platform should be focused on creating an environment where travelers feel safe and welcome.

How Hosts Can Align With Airbnb’s Values to Build a Positive Experience

Airbnb hosts have the opportunity to build successful businesses that are both sustainable and satisfying for the target audience that they serve when they make a concerted effort to champion the Airbnb’s mission of aligning their practices with these core values.

The Airbnb mission and these values offer not only a guide for being a great host but ultimately help shape the future of travel experiences on the platform.

It starts with ensuring all guests feel welcome and respected regardless of their background. The tone and wording of all your communication should reflect that. Small gestures like creating a welcome book can also help your guests to settle in and feel as if your home is their home for the duration of their stay.

Airbnb also wants everyone who uses the platform to feel safe and secure. Safety and security are important parts of any successful business, but with Airbnb, they’re especially paramount. Airbnb takes its responsibility to provide a safe, secure platform extremely seriously, and, as a host, you should too.

You can play your part by checking that the security of your rental is on par. When assessing your vacation rental’s security, embrace innovative technologies. Airbnb encourages hosts to use tools and processes that will enhance guest experiences.

For example, hosts can utilize vacation rental software solutions, automated check-in/check-out procedures, or even guest analytics tools to understand the needs of their customers better.

If you’re looking to streamline your vacation rental management, try iGMS today. With our powerful platform, you can:

• Manage multiple accounts and listings on top OTAs from a single interface
• Synchronize reservations across multiple platforms to eliminate double bookings
• Use the unified inbox to organize messages into a single feed to ensure prompt replies
• Create and coordinate cleaning tasks with live tracking
• Manage teams with access control

For Airbnb, it’s all about reimagining hospitality. Hosts are encouraged to walk the extra mile and offer unique experiences for their guests that go beyond just providing accommodation.

From installing keyless entry to recommending interesting day trips or cultural activities like cooking classes, there are plenty of ways for hosts on Airbnb to join the adventure.

To make sure that everything is positively impacting the local communities, Airbnb is also committed to supporting sustainable tourism and conservation efforts. This means that hosts should check that their practices are in line with principles of economic, social, and environmental sustainability.

This could include minimizing waste or investing in green initiatives and services like renewable energy sources or eco-friendly furnishings. By taking a holistic approach to sustainability, your Airbnb business can have a positive impact on both your community and the environment.

Wrapping Things Up

What started out as two hosts opening their space in San Francisco to three guests has had a lasting impact on travel and hospitality. In fact, the Airbnb mission statement and defining values have played a huge role in creating a global community from a small San Francisco business idea.

Airbnb encourages hosts to put their guests first, prioritize shared experiences, and practice kindness in all their interactions with others. It’s not only the guests who benefit but also the hosts.

For example, traditionally underrepresented community members are given a platform to build a business, helping them too to feel like they belong in their own communities. By embracing these core Airbnb values, hosts and guests are one step closer to creating the perfect trip.