Airbnb News and Short-Term Rentals

Airbnb continues to be a major force in the travel industry, redefining how people book and experience accommodations worldwide. At PhocusWire, we bring you the latest Airbnb news, along with broader coverage of the short-term rental sector, including platform innovation, market trends, and regulatory developments that shape this fast-moving space.

Updates on Airbnb, short-term rental trends, and regulatory shifts

Track how Airbnb is evolving its product offerings, enhancing guest and host tools, and adapting to consumer demand for more flexible, immersive travel. Our stories examine the intersection of tech innovation, policy, and platform strategy—providing insight into how short-term rentals continue to influence the broader hospitality landscape.

airbnb european law
News / Distribution
Airbnb told to get in line with European consumer law
By Linda Fox | July 17, 2018
Airbnb has been told by the European Commission to clean up its pricing as well as commercial terms. Read More
Who won the FIFA World Cup? Private Accommodation FC
News / Online
Who won the FIFA World Cup? Private Accommodation FC
By Kevin May | July 16, 2018
France secured their second FIFA World Cup in two decades last weekend - but victory also came to the private accommodation sector during the tournament. Read More
airbnb china
News / Online
Airbnb boosts Chinese leadership team with Tao Peng appointment
By Linda Fox | July 10, 2018
Chinese entrepreneur Tao Peng is joining Airbnb to become its president in China. Read More
quote of the week 28
News / Distribution
QOTW: Something about a gap in accommodations
By PhocusWire | July 6, 2018
Quote from Sleepbox, in an article on PhocusWire this week. Read More
How travel providers can sell experiences better than Airbnb
News / Online
How travel providers can sell experiences better than Airbnb
By Viewpoints | July 3, 2018
This is a viewpoint from Matt Walker, chief storyteller at LikeWhere. If you want to "Live like a Local", traveling is a risk. You are better off staying home. What’s more local than waking up i Read More
Travelers waiting to book tours and activities, prefer local experiences
News / Online
Travelers waiting to book tours and activities, prefer local experiences
By Jill Menze | June 27, 2018
Summer is a busy season for tours and attractions operators, with the vacation-heavy months bringing with them an influx of people looking for things to do. But how - and when - are travelers booking... Read More
online tours and activities
Opinion / Online
Quartz (and others) are wrong about tours and activities: Here's why
By Douglas Quinby - Phocuswright | June 22, 2018
In March of this year, Quartz proclaimed that somebody should let Airbnb know that travelers don't like booking tours and activities online. Read More
Travel brands need to rethink "local" if they want to engage customers
News / Distribution
Travel brands need to rethink "local" if they want to engage customers
By Viewpoints | June 22, 2018
This is a viewpoint from Matt Walker, chief storyteller at LikeWhere If airlines and travel brands want to win in 2018, they have to incorporate the customer's preferences in their definition of "l Read More
Millennials and the changing face of the vacation rental industry
News / Distribution
Millennials and the changing face of the vacation rental industry
By Viewpoints | June 21, 2018
This is a viewpoint from Amiad Soto, founder of Guesty. The vacation rental industry, alongside the travel industry in general, is booming. Travel has become a right rather than a privilege. The am Read More
mmgy portrait of american travelers
News / Online
Travelers losing interest in home-sharing, Google gaining ground as travel resource
By Jill Menze | June 20, 2018
For all the chatter of Airbnb stealing scene time away from hotels, traveler interest in home-sharing seems to be waning. Read More
OTA Insight parity tool and report
News / Distribution
OTA Insight launches new parity tool for revenue management
By Mitra Sorrells | June 19, 2018
Hoteliers have a new tool to help them analyze and optimize distribution costs.   Read More
How Booking Holdings thinks about acquisitions and internal growth
News / Distribution
How Booking Holdings thinks about acquisitions and internal growth
By Linda Fox | June 13, 2018
Ever wondered how Booking Holdings thinks about acquisitions and growth more widely? It's recent purchase of tours and activities tech company FareHarbor offers some clues. The team has moved to Am Read More
Report says timeshare failed to evolve against rise of Airbnb
News / Distribution
Report says timeshare failed to evolve against rise of Airbnb
By Kevin May | June 11, 2018
The "sharing economy" in travel didn't arrive on the scene with the advent of global mega-brands such as HomeAway or, more recently, Airbnb. Read More
Airbnb takes long term view as it culls hosts in Japan
News / Online
Airbnb takes long term view as it culls hosts in Japan
By Kevin May | June 5, 2018
Airbnb says the temporary removal of tens of thousands of listings from its platform in Japan will have benefits for it and the sector over time. Read More
Booking.com SimilarWeb report
News / Distribution
Booking.com leads in online traffic with market-customized strategies
By Mitra Sorrells | June 4, 2018
Booking.com is the most visited travel website in the world according to SimilarWeb, with an average of more than 420 million visit per month in the last six months. Read More
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