Airbnb has seen incredible success as a mobile-first platform for booking accommodation across the globe. Now the company is looking into expanding its remit into trip planning, with digital guidebooks  and itinerary planning.

According to Bloomberg, the closed test includes features for city tours, restaurant reservations and guides to local events, hoping to act as a concierge service to travellers in new cities. However, the exact set of features and even the name is still being developed, and could change significantly before a public release.

In the past few years, Airbnb has seen a number of challengers rise up to compete in the same space, and while it remains the biggest name in independent accommodation booking, expanding into new, related areas could help it continue to stand out.

Online travel giants such as Expedia and TripAdvisor have already begun exploring activity and event booking, and startups focused on the market such as Peek and Utrip have recently attracted investment from venture capitalists.

Airbnbs plans reportedly also include selling add-on services, with the overall project referred to internally as “Magical Trips”, an initiative that forms one of the firms top priorities for the year.

A new version of the Airbnb app released in April already includes neighbourhood guides for certain cities, and the standalone trip planning app is expected to be unveiled at its annual conference in November.

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