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.

Evolve Vacation Rental Network raises $5.5 million to help owners with distribution and services
News / Distribution
Evolve Vacation Rental Network raises $5.5 million to help owners with distribution and services
By Kevin May | June 13, 2016
A new round of $5.5 million has been ploughed into owner support service Evolve Vacation Rental Network by T Rowe Price. The Series B investment funds have been bolstered by participation from Anno Read More
How hotels can localise their website to compete with Airbnb
News / Distribution
How hotels can localise their website to compete with Airbnb
By Viewpoints | June 10, 2016
The “Live There” campaign from Airbnb reveals an intention to target a new demographic - after traditionally looking to connect with Millennials, it is now marketing to families. NB This is a viewp Read More
Airbnb ramps up business travel focus, adds employee management tool
News / Distribution
Airbnb ramps up business travel focus, adds employee management tool
By Kevin May | June 8, 2016
Airbnb claims some 50,000 companies worldwide have used the site to make a booking since it launched a dedicated platform for corporates. This could be seen by some as a solid start over the past t Read More
Airbnb not impacting online travel agency growth
News / Distribution
Airbnb not impacting online travel agency growth
By Kevin May | June 7, 2016
Airbnb has achieved the lofty accolade of being worth 25% more than global hospitality chain Hilton in just nine years. This is one of the findings from a report by US-based 7Park Data into Airbnb Read More
Alternative accommodation held back by fears over trust
News / Distribution
Alternative accommodation held back by fears over trust
By Kevin May | June 6, 2016
Nearly nine out of ten travellers have yet to rent or stay in a stranger's property for a trip, with concerns over the identity of owners cited as a significant factor. Over 2,000 consumers in the Read More
SilverDoor consolidates serviced apartments top slot
News / Distribution
SilverDoor consolidates serviced apartments top slot
By Martin Cowen | May 25, 2016
Serviced apartments aggregator SilverDoor has bought its closest competitor Citybase for £2.25 million, uniting the two largest global players in the sector. A new parent company has been formed wh Read More
Sharing economy to triple by 2020
News / Distribution
Sharing economy to triple by 2020
By Martin Cowen | May 23, 2016
The so-called sharing economy will be worth more than $20 billion a year by 2020 according to Juniper Research. The $20.4 billion figure is three times the $6.4 billion it thinks the sector was wor Read More
The hotel tech Trojan horse
News / Distribution
The hotel tech Trojan horse
By Viewpoints | May 19, 2016
Oh yes, a horse is on its way to Troy as you read this. Or, has it arrived? NB: This is a viewpoint by Mike Ford, managing director of SiteMinder. As most hotel industry folk know, there are a n Read More
Stayzilla belatedly confirms another $13 million
News / Distribution
Stayzilla belatedly confirms another $13 million
By Martin Cowen | May 16, 2016
Indian homestay platform Stayzilla has raised $13 million in funding over the past five months from existing investors Matrix Partners India and Nexus. The retrospective announcement came via a fil Read More
Why the hotel of the future looks just like home
News / Distribution
Why the hotel of the future looks just like home
By Viewpoints | May 13, 2016
More than ever before, the line between “hotel” and “home” is becoming blurred: few in the industry would still deny that today’s traveler wants lodging to feel more localized, personalized and authen Read More
New Tnooz Report: What the sharing economy’s success means for your travel business
Webinars / Online
New Tnooz Report: What the sharing economy’s success means for your travel business
By Sean O'Neil | May 12, 2016
The travel industry worldwide has been witnessing a modern-day gold rush called the sharing economy. Emerging companies such as Airbnb, HomeAway’s Travelmob, Breather, Uber, Lyft, Didi Kuaidi, Turo Read More
VCs highlight over and under-invested travel sectors
News / Online
VCs highlight over and under-invested travel sectors
By Kevin May | May 11, 2016
Any new travel business plotting to capture some of the action in the rental and sharing sector should probably think again. Or, at the very least, they should not be assuming the financial backers Read More
Bnbsitter, the concierge service for home rentals, raises $2.5 million
News
Bnbsitter, the concierge service for home rentals, raises $2.5 million
By Sean O'Neil | May 2, 2016
Last year, BnbSitter, a Parisian startup that offers on-demand concierge for hosts of short-term rentals on Airbnb and other platforms, landed more than $450,000 in seed funding. Now the company ha Read More
Airbnb goes after vacation rental owners with technology push
News / Distribution
Airbnb goes after vacation rental owners with technology push
By Kevin May | April 27, 2016
Airbnb is increasing its ability to capture business from the traditional vacation rental industry, with a series of connections with technology providers. After testing its API with four tech comp Read More
Ride-sharing tipped to be a $6.5 billion sector by 2020
News / Distribution
Ride-sharing tipped to be a $6.5 billion sector by 2020
By Kevin May | April 26, 2016
Ride-sharing brands will see revenues grow to an estimated $6.5 billion within four years, a report into the sharing economy has suggested. Juniper Research forecasts the $3.3 billion the sector ma Read More
The Phocuswright Conference 2026