Distribution Strategies

San Francisco, California-based Airbnb has shared that more than five million nights have been booked on its platform, with over four million guest nights booked in the last 12 months alone .

The company, which connects people who have space to spare with those who are looking for a place to stay, says it has reached a tipping point of global adoption.

According to the company, more than 75 percent of all reservations last year were international - where either the traveller or host (or both) was outside the US.

“Our community is demonstrating the inherent social, economic, and cultural value in the sharing economy,” said Brian Chesky, CEO and co-founder of Airbnb.

Airbnb plans to expand operations in six countries with the opening of offices in Q1 of 2012. Airbnb currently has offices in San Francisco, Hamburg, Berlin, and London. The new offices will open in the following locations:

-- Barcelona, Spain

-- Copenhagen, Denmark

-- Milan, Italy

-- Moscow, Russia

-- Paris, France

-- Sao Paulo, Brazil

The site has over 100,000 properties in 192 countries, and over 19,000 cities worldwide, are listed on Airbnb.

The number of available listings increased 166 percent in 2011, and 70 percent of all listings are now located outside the US. 

In 2011, Airbnb expanded its customer support fleet twelvefold to include 24-hour customer support in 16 languages offering service 24-hours a day through email, live chat, and seven global toll-free phone numbers.

Earlier this month the company strengthened its mobile portfolio by launching its new Android app and redesigned mobile website.  In August last year, Airbnb decided to implement a $50,000 Airbnb Guarantee, protecting the property of hosts from damage by Airbnb guests who book reservations through its website. It took this initiative after it emerged that the home of a San Francisco host named EJ was tragically vandalized by a guest.