Airbnb Teams Up With WalkSafe+ to Help Solo Female Travelers Feel Safe

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Airbnb and female-founded personal safety app WalkSafe+ have joined forces to share expert tips to help women stay safe when traveling alone.
It comes as new data from WalkSafe shows the number of women downloading its app in the last month has increased by 90 percent.
WalkSafe+, which has nearly 1 million downloads, enables people to map a safe route home by leveraging real-time safety information like crime data, taxi ranks, and police locations. The app also allows users to share their route with loved ones and highlights ‘safe spaces’ on the map, meaning users can access accredited venues and premises that have undergone safety training.
According to a press release from Airbnb, WalkSafe’s founder, Emma Kay, has shared her top tips on staying safe while traveling on Airbnb:
*Do your research beforehand and always book your accommodation and any transport transfers in advance. *Keep your real-time location private when sharing your travels online. *Inspect locks and windows on arrival to ensure they work. *Ensure your Airbnb profile is up to date, and add an emergency contact directly via the app in the rare event it’s needed. *Stay on the platform to book, pay and communicate to ensure you’re covered by Airbnb’s secure processes. *Consider buying a door stop alarm and hidden wallet – these can be bought easily online. *Make use of Airbnb’s Solo Traveller Safety feature and message your Host in advance of booking to find out about the listing, especially regarding safe and non-safe areas. *Invest in a battery power pack and a travel sim card so you can stay connected. *If you’re leaving your accommodation by taxi, call back into the listing to say goodbye to give the impression other people are there. *Stay aware and trust your instincts. If something doesn’t feel right, safely leave the situation.
In a press release from Airbnb, the vacation rental platform announced they have developed new products to help guests, including a Solo Traveller Safety feature. When a guest books a solo trip on Airbnb, they will automatically receive a specialized in-app experience that gives guests an easy way to share their Airbnb itinerary and listing details with anyone they choose. The feature also includes prompts from Airbnb suggesting important questions to ask the Host about their listing and neighborhood.
In addition, Airbnb has launched a: *24-hour Safety Line, which allows users to be connected to its specialized Safety team for help during a reservation. *Local Emergency Services feature, which connects users to the local emergency services for the country they are in, with support in 70 countries and regions. *Emergency contact feature, which allows travelers to add up to four emergency contacts to their Airbnb profile.