Airbnb expects bookings to rebound to pre-pandemic levels for the first time in the current quarter, as concerns over the Omicron coronavirus variant have “quickly dissipated” and travellers become more comfortable getting away.
“Guests are confidently booking for the summer travel season early in the year,” chief executive Brian Chesky wrote in a letter to investors on Tuesday, saying bookings for the peak travel months were 25 per cent higher than at the same point in 2019.
“In the US and Europe in particular, we are seeing lead time for bookings made in Q1 2022 return to pre-pandemic levels,” he said. Airbnb shares rose about 6 per cent in after-hours trading.