Airbnb News

Convergence is happening big time these days as online travel companies around the world, driven by the varied and changing accommodations' needs of their customers, are rapidly expanding and will continue to broaden their array of lodging options.

TripAdvisor, with its hotel and restaurant reviews, hotel bookings and tours and activities, is a much more well-rounded travel site than the younger Airbnb at this stage. Still, TripAdvisor has some Airbnb envy, and wants to take advantage of the sea changes in the global lodging industry.

The rise of the sharing economy is a trend in business travel that won't get put easily back in the bottle, although it isn't for everyone. On the other hand, it is possible that Lufthansa's battle with the business travel community could get recorked and disposed with.

We've been watching how early adopters in business travel are beginning to partner with Uber and Airbnb. Likewise, segments of the hotel industry are beginning to accommodate the sharing economy. Five years from now that collaboration and cooptation will be in full swing.

For first time Uber is now more popular among business travelers than taxis as a percent of all rides, a seminal moment if there ever was one for the business traveler transport economy.

There's really no broad stroke definition for what an authentic travel experience is. It means different things in different places and travel brands need to consider what their definition is to avoid generalizing.

Big brand hotels have evolved a long way to being more locally connected, but they should look toward the sharing brands to align themselves better with guest expectations.

Airbnb, with its roughly $24.5 billion valuation, would likely be too big for most of the online travel agencies to acquire but if they are forced to enter the sharing economy in a bigger way several years from now they always have the resources to buy their way in.

How-to videos inform and build brand awareness. If executed well, viewers will be moved to share them, which adds value by generating earned media.

Airbnb's capability for growth is much greater than any traditional hotel chain but it can also disappear faster than you can type "enforcement of municipal zoning and/or condo board rules."