Feb 13 (Reuters) - Vacation home rentals company Airbnb ( ABNB )

posted higher quarterly revenue on Thursday as

international travel demand remained strong, although it

forecast slower growth for the first quarter due to tough

year-over-year comparisons and a stronger dollar.

The travel company said it was benefiting from continued

growth in Latin America and sustained cross-border travel demand

in Asia Pacific and Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

Airbnb ( ABNB ) forecast first-quarter revenue of $2.23 billion to

$2.27 billion, a 4% to 6% increase, compared with a year

earlier. The company said revenue growth benefited during the

same period in 2024 from the timing of Easter and the inclusion

of Leap Day.

A strong U.S. currency is making it more expensive for

multinational companies like Airbnb ( ABNB ) to convert profits booked

abroad into dollars. In January, the U.S. dollar index

reached a two-year high.

The average daily rate, or the cost per night, is expected

to decline slightly year-over-year in the first quarter due to

exchange rates.

Excluding the impact of the calendar and foreign exchange

rate, Airbnb ( ABNB ) anticipates revenue to increase in the range of 10%

to 12% from a year earlier.

The company expects Nights and Experiences Booked in the

first quarter to be flat, compared with the same period a year

earlier, when excluding Leap Day. About 133 million nights and

experiences were booked in the first quarter of 2024.

The San Francisco-based company said it was benefiting from

the launch of its co-host network four months ago which allows a

manager to take care of guests and the property on behalf of the

owner. It said that co-host listings earn about twice as much as

other Airbnb ( ABNB ) listings in comparable countries.

Airbnb ( ABNB ) also said that it plans to invest $200 million to

$250 million towards launching and scaling new businesses during

the year.

Revenue rose 11.8% to $2.48 billion for the fourth quarter

ended December 31.

(Reporting by Aishwarya Jain in Bengaluru and Doyinsola Oladipo

in New York; Editing by Anil D'Silva)