Airbnb Creates Niches for a New Generation of Vacation Rental Startups: Skift Research E-Book


Skift Take

Airbnb has built itself into the third most richly valued startup in the world over the last decade. But business never stands still, and as Airbnb harvests its gains, the latest generation of alternative accommodation startups are collecting all of the new venture capital in the space.

A new wave of travel startups is building momentum in the marketplace. Travel startups are on track raise more than $5 billion in venture capital worldwide this year, up from $1.6 billion in 2013. These businesses are, broadly speaking, larger and more mature than past generations. They are more likely to partner with industry incumbents and many even take direct investments from corporate venture capital arms. This new generation includes unicorn startups, private companies valued at over $1 billion, across many travel sub-sectors such as tours and activities (Klook), hospitality (OYO Rooms), corporate travel (TripActions), and more. Skift Research’s new e-book identifies three large themes as well as their impacts for investors and stakeholders in the industry: the center of gravity in travel is s