Community-driven hospitality company Airbnb has unveiled an updated app with new features and launched a global brand campaign dubbed 'Live There'.

The company says its updated mobile application includes a matching system designed to understand travellers' preferences and then match them with the most appropriate homes, neighbourhoods and experiences, as well as a Guidebooks feature which allows access to insider tips from Airbnb's global community of hosts.

Airbnb describes its latest brand campaign as the largest to date and a response to growing dissatisfaction among travellers with standardised tourist offerings.

Brian Chesky, Airbnb co-founder and CEO elaborated on the reasons the company decided to make improvements to its offer. "The number one reason people chose to travel on Airbnb is they want to live like a local. They don't want to be tourists stuck in long lines, fighting with the crowds to see the same thing as everyone else. Our hosts offer more than just generic hospitality - they welcome travellers from around the world into their communities. Today is the start of an exciting journey to help people not just go somewhere, but truly live there."

According to latest South Africa-relevant statistics provided by Airbnb, the number of guests staying in an Airbnb when traveling to South Africa has grown by more than 230% in 2015 alone.

The number of guests staying in an Airbnb when traveling from South Africa on the other hand has grown by more than 210% during the same year. Total listings all around Africa have now reached 50 000 with Cape Town one of the most popular with almost 10 000 homes listed.