Skift Take
Expedia's Vrbo isn't a global Airbnb killer, nor does it have to be. Vrbo will pick its spots, but that will be a disappointment to those hosts, frustrated and angry with Airbnb, who are looking for some company to take Airbnb down a peg.
Online Travel This Week
I hear chatter from Airbnb hosts who are looking to Vrbo to mount a strong challenge to the $93 billion short-term rental giant. They ask when is Vrbo going to expand its Fast Start host recruitment program beyond the U.S., and into Europe and other geographies?
Why not strike when anger among a segment of Airbnb hosts, alienated by Airbnb's pro-guest cancellation refund policy at the beginning of the pandemic, is still raw?
The Vrbo Fast Start program, which offers incentives for Airbnb super hosts to mostly co-list on Vrbo, officially debuted in the U.S. three months ago, but a European launch is weeks, if not months, away. Or perhaps Europe isn't a major priority for Vrbo right now.
It's clear that Expedia Group doesn't plan to try and take on Airbnb head-on in cities, and numerous countries, but will stick with its whole-h
