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.

Naspers pitches up with another deal in India
News / Distribution
Naspers pitches up with another deal in India
By Martin Cowen | July 5, 2016
Travel Boutique Online (TBO), an Indian B2B  player backed by South Africa's Naspers, has bought a stake in campsite aggregator Deyor Camps. Naspers was involved in a $250 million funding round for Read More
Google: time for the travel industry to see through its do-no-evil mantra
News / Distribution
Google: time for the travel industry to see through its do-no-evil mantra
By Viewpoints | June 29, 2016
I believe that Google poses the biggest long-term threat to the profitability and growth of airlines, hoteliers and travel intermediaries that they have ever seen. Here’s why. NB: This is an opi Read More
What happens when Airbnb muscles in on your business?
News / Distribution
What happens when Airbnb muscles in on your business?
By Viewpoints | June 23, 2016
Airbnb is moving into the tours and activities - some think in a very big way. The company has been talking about it a lot recently, not least at a conference I attended. Whilst many gushed and Read More
A fifth of business travellers unsure if the likes of Uber and Airbnb are in the travel policy
News / Technology
A fifth of business travellers unsure if the likes of Uber and Airbnb are in the travel policy
By Linda Fox | June 23, 2016
The latest GBTA Business Traveler Sentiment contains a few snippets on where so-called sharing economy companies are in the corporate travel space. The study, carried out in conjunction with Amex a Read More
Tujia strengthens top slot in China's home rentals market
News / Distribution
Tujia strengthens top slot in China's home rentals market
By Martin Cowen | June 22, 2016
Tujia has bought smaller rival Mayi, firming up its position as China's biggest home rentals platform. Coverage on China Travel News adds that 58.com, the Chinese e-commerce marketplace which sold Read More
Let the disruption really begin - Chesky hints at Airbnb API
News / Distribution
Let the disruption really begin - Chesky hints at Airbnb API
By Martin Cowen | June 21, 2016
Airbnb's founder and CEO Brian Chesky has told the advertising industry's mega-event in Cannes that the business is "financially secure" and that an API is a possibility. The official Cannes Lions Read More
Traders lukewarm on Airbnb threat to Priceline Group and Expedia
News / Distribution
Traders lukewarm on Airbnb threat to Priceline Group and Expedia
By Kevin May | June 20, 2016
Airbnb may not be feasting on the lunch of Booking.com and Expedia after all, as several factors come into play that could inhibit its growth. This is the warning from a financial trader, writing f Read More
Hotels warned over startups that will peel away their dominance
News / Distribution
Hotels warned over startups that will peel away their dominance
By Kevin May | June 17, 2016
CBInsights reckons it has identified more than 60 travel startups that will in various ways erode the power of major hotel chains. The business consultancy service says the established hotel giants Read More
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
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