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 plays digital inclusion card to get inventory in rural India
News / Distribution
Airbnb plays digital inclusion card to get inventory in rural India
By Martin Cowen | November 28, 2016
The global homestay landgrab continues apace, taking in many twists and turns. The latest move sees Airbnb looking to secure inventory in rural India by linking up with a trade union which represents Read More
Airbnb and Homeaway hit back after fines in Barcelona
News / Online
Airbnb and Homeaway hit back after fines in Barcelona
By Kevin May | November 25, 2016
Rental and sharing giants HomeAway and Airbnb have each been slapped with a $635,000 fine over alleged permit issues in the city of Barcelona. Administrators in the Spanish city say the pair have f Read More
Singing from the same songsheet? Airbnb Trips versus the current chart-toppers
News / Technology
Singing from the same songsheet? Airbnb Trips versus the current chart-toppers
By Martin Cowen | November 22, 2016
The deafening buzz around Airbnb Trips means that established experiential economy brands such as OpenTable, Viator and Ticketmaster need to shout even louder. Representatives from the three incumb Read More
Gogobot rebrands as Trip.com and plots to outwit the travel behemoths
News / Technology
Gogobot rebrands as Trip.com and plots to outwit the travel behemoths
By Sean O'Neil | November 21, 2016
Travel recommendation platform Gogobot rebranded last week as Trip.com and added several new tools that it believes will enable it to outwit larger efforts at in-destination and "in-country" tourism b Read More
How to burst the bubble of Airbnb Trips in two phone calls
News / Distribution
How to burst the bubble of Airbnb Trips in two phone calls
By Viewpoints | November 21, 2016
Last week Airbnb released what is essentially its first new product since the company's inception in 2008. The absolute leader in peer-to-peer rentals and a flagship innovator in the share economy, Read More
Hafner isn't having it — Kayak's CEO critiques Google, Airbnb, and others
News / Online
Hafner isn't having it — Kayak's CEO critiques Google, Airbnb, and others
By Sean O'Neil | November 18, 2016
Steve Hafner, co-founder and chief executive of Kayak, is living up to his reputation for being one of the liveliest annual on-stage interviewees at the Phocuswright Conference. On-stage he says th Read More
Airbnb claims most significant development in its history - moving beyond accommodation
News / Distribution
Airbnb claims most significant development in its history - moving beyond accommodation
By Kevin May | November 18, 2016
It's big rhetoric time at Airbnb this week, with the home sharing giant claiming at its annual hoedown that it is going to "make travel magical again". The worst kept secret in recent months has se Read More
Hotel gives like a local, lends Airbnb and rental owners its boutique services
News / Online
Hotel gives like a local, lends Airbnb and rental owners its boutique services
By Kevin May | November 11, 2016
A UK hotel has taken a novel approach to connecting into the growing world of shared or rented properties for use with travel accommodation. The Bermondsey Square Hotel in London has given access t Read More
Airbnb yet to be hit with Brits but growing impact on industry
News / Distribution
Airbnb yet to be hit with Brits but growing impact on industry
By Linda Fox | November 8, 2016
The British haven't quite got the Airbnb bug yet according to research released today. A study on usage shows only 12% of travellers say they have used the peer-to-peer accommodation platform. T Read More
Large increase in business travellers found using Airbnb
News / Distribution
Large increase in business travellers found using Airbnb
By Kevin May | November 7, 2016
The number of organisations using room and home-sharing service Airbnb has increased by a third - and the amount being spent is even higher. Research by Concur, looking at company travel expenses f Read More
Startup Pitch: MyFriendsRoom uses personal networks for vacation rentals
News / Online
Startup Pitch: MyFriendsRoom uses personal networks for vacation rentals
By Kevin May | November 6, 2016
As we all know, Airbnb has illustrated the enormous appetite that exists for the house/room-sharing concept in the travel industry. But there are many consumers that have concerns about a model tha Read More
Hostels remain outsiders (but staying the course) in chaotic accommodation world
News / Distribution
Hostels remain outsiders (but staying the course) in chaotic accommodation world
By Kevin May | November 2, 2016
"Alternative accommodation" is a title that has been banded around for a years now, primarily as a tool to separate hotels from everyone else. The umbrella term has come to prominence in particular Read More
Airbnb China reveals numbers, taps senior citizens as hosts
News / Distribution
Airbnb China reveals numbers, taps senior citizens as hosts
By Martin Cowen | November 2, 2016
More than 3.5 million Chinese travellers have used Airbnb outside China, with the number increasing by 500% during 2015. It also said that its Chinese hosts have welcomed nearly one million guest a Read More
Expedia eyes alternative accommodation bounty, plots HomeAway integration
News / Distribution
Expedia eyes alternative accommodation bounty, plots HomeAway integration
By Kevin May | October 28, 2016
Expedia will begin including vacation rental listings from stablemate HomeAway in the next few months as the battle for alternative accommodation heats up. The online travel agency will finally hav Read More
Airbnb's business travel glass: Half empty or half full?
News / Distribution
Airbnb's business travel glass: Half empty or half full?
By Martin Cowen | October 27, 2016
A global study of more than 250 corporate travel managers and buyers has found that nearly six out of ten have no plans to include sharing economy lodging options in their travel policy. And while Read More
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