Airbnb Widened Marketing Edge Against Rivals in 2022
Skift Take
Airbnb, which is very standoffish when it comes to paying for digital ads on Google.com and Google Travel, is winning the marketing sweepstakes by a landslide. Not even close.
Dennis' Online Travel Briefing
Editor’s Note: Every Wednesday, Executive Editor and online travel rockstar Dennis Schaal will bring readers exclusive reporting and insight into the business of online travel and digital booking, and how this sector has an impact across the travel industry.In the perennial quest to turn bargaining-hunting travelers with little brand loyalty into customers making bookings and generating revenue through paid advertising, Airbnb widened its already substantial advantage in 2022 over rivals Booking Holdings and Expedia Group.
The first accompanying chart depicts each company's sales and marketing spend as a percent of revenue in 2022. Airbnb spent just 18.04 percent, Booking Holdings allocated 45.7 percent, and Expedia Group shelled out 52.3 percent last year.
Sales and Marketing Spend as a Percent of Revenue 2022
Sales & Marketing Spend% of RevenueAirbnb$1.51 billion18.04%Booking Holdings$7.81 billion45.70%Expedia Group$6.1 billion52.30%Source: Skift, Financial filings
The second chart details these companies' sales and marketing spend as a percentage of revenue in 2021. It's thus clear that Airbnb in 2022 expanded the mammoth edge in sales and marketi
