Key Takeaways

  • Introduced in our 2021 Winter Release to provide a seamless experience for Hosts and guests, Translation Engine removed the need for click-to-translate buttons.
  • Translation Engine provides accurate, high-quality translations across messages in real-time, as Hosts and guests communicate with each other in over 60 languages.
  • Today Translation Engine expands to include reviews, bringing translation technology to nearly all Host and guest interfaces across the platform.
— Source: Airbnb— Source: Airbnb
— Source: Airbnb

In our 2021 Winter Release last November, we announced the most advanced translation technology ever offered to our community – Translation Engine – providing a seamless experience for Hosts and guests in over 60 languages as they interact over Stays and Experiences around the world.

Translation Engine removed the need for click-to-translate buttons, leveraging millions of Airbnb data points to automatically translate listing descriptions while growing smarter and more sophisticated each time. Hosts can count on high-quality translations that not only relieve the need to translate or quality-check listing descriptions themselves, but also allow them to reach more guests.

Today we are expanding Translation Engine to include reviews after successfully launching it across our messaging feature this summer.

Billions of messages a year, now translated in real-time

On the heels of last year’s launch, Translation Engine was expanded this summer to include messaging. This represents a significant feat given the sheer volume of messages across the platform each day – more than 1.3 billion in the 12 months leading to June 30, 20221. This translates to over 3.5 million messages a day and over 40 messages every second. Messages are automatically translated in the user’s preferred language, making it even easier for Hosts and guests to interact and ask questions, with both parties confident they can understand the exchanges accurately.

Millions of reviews, today available in each user’s preferred language

Today, we are further expanding our innovative technology to include reviews. Now guests can easily scroll automatically translated reviews in their preferred language without having to click on each individual translation, saving time and minimizing misinterpretations. Considering the more than 550 million reviews across the entirety of the platform to date2 and the complexity of providing accurate translations in the preferred languages of millions of Hosts and guests across more than 100,000 cities and more than 220 countries and regions, Translation Engine is a first-in-class service.

1 Number of messages exchanged on the platform from July 1, 2021 to June 30, 2022
2 Total number of all-time reviews on the platform through June 30, 2022

About Airbnb

Airbnb was born in 2007 when two hosts welcomed three guests to their San Francisco home, and has since grown to over 5 million hosts who have welcomed over 1.5 billion guest arrivals in almost every country across the globe. Every day, hosts offer unique stays and experiences that make it possible for guests to connect with communities in a more authentic way.

About Airbnb.org

Airbnb.org is a nonprofit organization dedicated to facilitating temporary stays for people in times of crisis around the world. Airbnb.org operates independently and leverages Airbnb, Inc.'s technology, services, and other resources at no charge to carry out Airbnb.org's charitable purpose. The inspiration for Airbnb.org began in 2012 with a single host named Shell who opened up her home to people impacted by Hurricane Sandy. This sparked a movement and marked the beginning of a program that allows hosts on Airbnb to provide stays for people in times of need. Since then, the program has evolved to focus on emergency response and to help provide stays to evacuees, relief workers, refugees, asylum seekers, and frontline workers fighting the spread of COVID-19. Since then, hosts have offered to open up their homes and helped provide accommodations to 100,000 people in times of need. Airbnb.org is a separate and independent entity from Airbnb, Inc. Airbnb, Inc. does not charge service fees for Airbnb.org supported stays on its platform.

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