Airbnb shares surged 14.9% to a four-year high of $174.23 in early trading on Friday as investors welcomed its raised annual revenue-growth forecast and signs that its AI investments were paying off. The stronger outlook also eased concerns about the Iran war’s impact on global travel demand.Citing resilient travel demand, Airbnb now expects full-year revenue growth of at least the mid-teens, compared with its previous forecast of low- to mid-teens, Reuters reported.Second-quarter revenue reached $3.61 billion, surpassing analysts’ estimate of $3.57 billion, according to LSEG data.As the Iran war enters its sixth month, hotel operators and online travel platforms are relying on resilient leisure demand and major international sporting events to cushion potential disruption.“Despite the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, we continue to see strong underlying demand globally,” Finance Chief Elinor Mertz told Reuters on Thursday, adding that the company had not factored any significant impact into its current-quarter outlook.Airbnb also highlighted the benefits of its AI tools, easing concerns that the technology could disrupt traditional travel companies. Earlier this week, Booking said its AI investments were generating positive returns.“In addition to building out services and experiences, Airbnb is growing hotel supply, such that room nights grew at three times the rate of homes. We see these verticals adding billions in incremental bookings through the end of the decade,” Morningstar analyst Dan Wasiolek was quoted by Reuters as saying.“AI is the best thing to ever happen to Airbnb,” CEO Brian Chesky said on a post-earnings call.Airbnb said customer-support costs per booking fell about 16% from a year earlier, partly due to improvements in its AI assistant.