SAN FRANCISCO » Airbnb is adding recommendations to its online accommodations service, building on its knowledge of travelers’ preferences, coupled with tips from locals.

The company, which lets out-of-town visitors find people renting out homes and rooms, says it wants to help travelers get off the beaten path by showing alternatives to well-known, often-crowded, attractions.

CEO Brian Chesky says Airbnb’s mobile apps will match travelers with hosts and neighborhoods based on their previous searches and bookings. It will also weigh their responses to questions about amenities or experiences they prefer.

The recommendations will let Airbnb show more listings outside the most-traveled neighborhoods, although visitors can still make their own selections.

Airbnb will also recommend activities, based on hosts’ tips, which Chesky says will help visitors see what it’s like to live in a city.