Skift Take
Vacation rental owners can be a set-in-their-ways bunch. HomeAway's Sharples expects there to be resistance to Airbnb's efforts to break into vacation rentals in a big way. On the other hand, some vacation rental owners aren't happy with the mandate for online bookings, either.
HomeAway CEO Brian Sharples concedes the company has to watch its back because Airbnb is trying to expand into vacation rentals and doesn't have to worry about profits but he doesn't see any competitor being able to sneak up quickly.
"I think the barriers to this business are much bigger than what people typically assume," Sharples told attendees at the Goldman Sachs Lodging, Gaming, Restaurant and Leisure Conference in New York City June 1.
Referring to Airbnb, but not naming it, Sharples said Airbnb has been trying to ramp up vacation rentals for awhile but because the majority of HomeAway's listings are second homes from individual owners -- as opposed to p
