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.

Starkov’s technology and marketing resolutions for hoteliers (part two)
News / Distribution
Starkov’s technology and marketing resolutions for hoteliers (part two)
By Viewpoints | January 9, 2017
Finding the balance between form and function on the hotel dotcom, personalisation of marketing campaigns and the threat of Airbnb are among the issues hoteliers need to address in 2017 in order to at Read More
Private accommodation travel bookings to reach $106 billion by 2018
News / Distribution
Private accommodation travel bookings to reach $106 billion by 2018
By Kevin May | January 3, 2017
Private accommodation will account for almost a fifth of global hospitality bookings within two years - and the online travel agency giants are tipped to benefit. In terms of figures, financial ana Read More
Airbnb and third party distribution - and so it begins again?
News / Online
Airbnb and third party distribution - and so it begins again?
By Kevin May | December 20, 2016
Airbnb has dipped its toe back in the waters of third-party distribution, almost a year to the day since it axed its original affiliate programme. The global property-sharing giant has signed a dea Read More
How Airbnb reckons it can change the traveller experience
News / Distribution
How Airbnb reckons it can change the traveller experience
By Viewpoints | December 19, 2016
There has been a great deal of discussion around what the launch of Trips means for Airbnb... and for travel more broadly (if anything). Commentary has come from all quarters, both within the compa Read More
Airbnb and hotels - frenemies at last
News / Distribution
Airbnb and hotels - frenemies at last
By Kevin May | December 16, 2016
It makes for a good headline to push some type of bloodthirsty battle going on between hotels and Airbnb. We in the media are brilliant at (and guilty of) doing it - knowing rather contentedly that Read More
Tripping.com nets $35 million, as investors come knocking for travel metasearch
News / Online
Tripping.com nets $35 million, as investors come knocking for travel metasearch
By Sean O'Neil | December 14, 2016
Investors are positioning themselves to take advantage of the proven model of travel metasearch in many of the world’s markets, as witnessed by Ctrip's recent purchase of Skyscanner for $1.7 billion a Read More
Airbnb demand increasingly hitting hotels, not online travel agencies
News / Distribution
Airbnb demand increasingly hitting hotels, not online travel agencies
By Kevin May | December 12, 2016
Use of Airbnb is growing faster than industry commentators predicted, with hotels the main losers in the new accommodation war. A large survey and follow-up analysis by global financial services gi Read More
Number-crunching reveals best time to book on Airbnb
News / Distribution
Number-crunching reveals best time to book on Airbnb
By Kevin May | December 6, 2016
Many online travel agencies and search engines claim to know when is the best time to book a flight (with the answer often varying wildly). If nothing else (forget about the accuracy of such foreca Read More
Wimdu sharing wannabe sold to Wyndham brand Novasol
News / Distribution
Wimdu sharing wannabe sold to Wyndham brand Novasol
By Kevin May | December 5, 2016
Something in the coffee over at Wyndham Worldwide, with its rental brand Novasol buying Wimdu - a company that merged with 9Flats just eight weeks ago. The deal comes the same day as Wyndham Vacati Read More
Click & Boat raises €1 million to spread its Airbnb-of-boating mantra
News / Online
Click & Boat raises €1 million to spread its Airbnb-of-boating mantra
By Kevin May | December 1, 2016
Peer-to-peer boat rental for travellers, Click & Boat, has caught the eye of Olma Fund investment fund and sailed to a €1 million round. The company says the capital will be used to expand the Read More
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
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