Global hospitality company Airbnb announced a series of plans to better serve Chinese travellers. The company unveiled a new Chinese brand name, the expansion of Trips and Experiences and China and its plan to further strengthen its global network.

Airbnb’s new brand name in China, Aibiying (爱彼迎), translates to “welcome each other with love” and reflects Airbnb’s mission to bring people together from communities around the world.

The company will also introduce its latest innovation, Trips, to China with the launch of Airbnb Experiences in Shanghai, featuring authentic experiences offered by locals. This is in addition to services already in place such as the integration of local payment methods including Alipay, signup options such as WeChat and access to 24-7 customer service in Mandarin.

“There’s a whole new generation of Chinese travellers who want to see the world in a different way. We hope that Aibiying and our Trips product strikes a chord with them and inspires them to want to travel in a way that opens doors to new people, communities and neighborhoods across the world. I’m really excited about our future here,” said Brian Chesky, CEO, co-founder and head of community, Airbnb.

Airbnb also recently launched Trips in Thailand, a fast-growing market for the company. The company experienced a 149 per cent increase in nationwide demand for the service in the past year alone and a 93 per cent year-over-year increase. Three of the initial Trips offered in Bangkok are a Muay Thai experience, fruit carving and cocktail making. This adds to the Trips global collection of more than 800 experiences now available in 13 cities around the world including Bangkok, Singapore, Tokyo and Seoul.