Airbnb shares surged 14% to a more-than-four-year high on Friday after the vacation-rental firm raised its annual revenue forecast, easing worries over the fallout on global travel demand from the conflict in the Middle East. As the war in Iran enters its sixth month, hotel operators and online travel agencies are banking on steady leisure demand and upcoming international sporting events. Finance chief Elinor Mertz said Thursday that despite the ongoing conflict, the company continues to see strong underlying demand globally and did not assume any significant impact in its current quarter. Airbnb expects full-year revenue growth of at least the mid-teens, up from its previous forecast of low- to mid-teens, citing resilient travel demand. Morningstar analyst Dan Wasiolek noted that Airbnb is growing hotel supply, with room nights growing at three times the rate of homes. The company reported second-quarter revenue of $3.61 billion, beating estimates of $3.57 billion, according to data compiled by LSEG. D.A. Davidson analysts dubbed Airbnb the "best-positioned online travel agency" to weather regional geopolitical turmoil, an inflationary environment and AI traffic risks. CEO Brian Chesky said on a post-earnings call that "AI is the best thing to ever happen to Airbnb." Customer support costs per booking declined about 16% year-over-year, driven in part by improvements to its AI assistant. Shares traded at about $173 in early trading and have gained 14% this year as of last close.