Photo: Airbnb

Bumble Partners With Airbnb to Offer Unique Virtual First Dates

News Couples
by Eben Diskin May 14, 2020

Dating apps are a tricky business these days. We have more time than ever to sit around and mindlessly swipe left or right, but actually going on a date is a complicated prospect in the era of social distancing. Awkwardly FaceTiming with your match, or having a bizarre date where you stay six-feet apart the whole time, aren’t exactly the romantic beginnings you’ll want to tell your grandkids about. To make online dating easier, Bumble and Airbnb are partnering to offer virtual online experiences, so you can share an experience together from the safety of your respective homes.

“To help star-crossed matches connect from afar,” said Airbnb, “Airbnb is releasing a collection of Bumble-approved Online Experiences perfect for spicing up virtual dates and engaging with each other in fun, meaningful ways.”

Among these experiences are a tarot reading, a meet-and-greet with the wooly sheep of a New Zealand farm, a pasta-making lesson with Italian chefs, a “drink and draw” in Lisbon, and a private jazz concert.

To celebrate the launch of the partnership experience, Bumble is sponsoring a contest where 100 Bumble users will be chosen to receive free virtual dates. The contest is open to all US residents, runs until May 28, and you can enter through the app by answering the following question: “If you could plan a first date anywhere in the world, where would it be and what would you do?”

While you’re waiting to see if you’ve won, you might as well expand your horizons. Since Zoom dates make distance irrelevant, Bumble has expanded its distance filters to allow users to match with anyone, anywhere in their country.

Discover Matador