Ahead of speaking at the Phocuswright Europe event in Barcelona from 12 to 14 June Airbnb’s Director of Commercial, Amir Segall, has emphasized the importance for travel technology companies to “never stop innovating to meet demand, and to learn to listen openly to customer feedback and use it to inform bold new ideas” in order to keep ahead in the ever more competitive online travel space. 

With the company recently confirming  it expects around 300 million guest arrivals this year, Segall revealed  that continual innovation is the only way to respond to such demands and meet customer expectations: “Innovation has been part Airbnb’s DNA from the very beginning, and you’re continuing to see that across the more than 340 upgrades and innovations we’ve introduced over the last two years. With Airbnb Rooms, we’re going back to our roots and introducing updates that provide guests with even more affordable, and authentic stays in places all over the world.”

During his on stage interview at the Phocuswright Europe event Segall will explain more about how Airbnb recently launched over 50 new features and upgrades that address top feedback from guests and Hosts across the end-to-end Airbnb experience, including functionalities such as total price display, transparent checkout instructions, improved maps, redesigned wishlists, and more.

Emphasizing the needs for continual customer feedback, Segall points to the Twitter request for feedback by Airbnb’s CEO Brian Chesky a few weeks ago: “Asking and listening to feedback from our Hosts and guests has never been more important, and it doesn’t have to be complicated. What better way to gain immediate, uncensored, raw feedback than to ask your community on Twitter? It’s fantastic that Brian has embraced the opportunity, and that as a business, we’re open enough to listen and to learn.”

Amir Segall and dozens of other industry leaders – including the CEOs of Viator, Amadeus and TUI Musement – will speak at the Phocuswright Europe event taking place in Barcelona between June 12 and June 14, where the theme this year will be ‘Travellers, Titans and Trailblazers’.