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.

Artificial intelligence-based travel concierge - not hard to break it
News / Technology
Artificial intelligence-based travel concierge - not hard to break it
By Kevin May | March 23, 2016
Trip planning startup Tripoto recently announced rather grandly that it has created the "world's first AI-based travel concierge". Online virtual assistants in the travel industry are not new by an Read More
HomeAway's new fee sparks some anger the company tries to quell
News / Online
HomeAway's new fee sparks some anger the company tries to quell
By Sean O'Neil | March 15, 2016
Dozens of owners of vacation rental properties have spoken out online against HomeAway's new fees, introduced as part of a switch in model from classified listings to an instantly bookable, transactio Read More
Airbnb to let neighbors report on bad hosts
News / Online
Airbnb to let neighbors report on bad hosts
By Sean O'Neil | March 14, 2016
Next month, Airbnb is going to enable neighbors to provide comments on nearby hosts, a company executive said on Monday. The virtual comment box will debut in Japan and then roll out worldwide, sai Read More
Even the UNWTO is talking about the sharing economy
News / Distribution
Even the UNWTO is talking about the sharing economy
By Kevin May | March 10, 2016
The World Tourism Organization is probably best known for a diplomatic and often high-brow approach to travel affecting the travel, tourism and hospitality industry. That's fair enough, given that Read More
There's a hole in my Bucket - RIP another trip planning startup
News
There's a hole in my Bucket - RIP another trip planning startup
By Kevin May | March 10, 2016
"With a heavy heart, today we announce that we'll be closing our doors on Bucket," says the email to users of the trip planning startup this week. In short, CEO and co-founder Julia Lam has shut th Read More
Large study of Airbnb hosts hints at who is making the money
News
Large study of Airbnb hosts hints at who is making the money
By Sean O'Neil | February 29, 2016
There's an ongoing debate about how home-sharing sites like Airbnb are performing, and a new study from LearnAirbnb, a consultancy, casts some fresh light. LearnAirbnb did a 119-page study of the h Read More
Think leisure players aren't touching business travel, think again
News / Distribution
Think leisure players aren't touching business travel, think again
By Linda Fox | February 29, 2016
The business travel community swings between denying any impact from Airbnb, Uber and the like, to worrying what to do about them. Yet there they were, at last week's Business Travel Show in London Read More
Best Western CEO has concerns over Airbnb (but doesn't mind selling rooms on it)
News / Distribution
Best Western CEO has concerns over Airbnb (but doesn't mind selling rooms on it)
By Kevin May | February 23, 2016
Back in July 2015, Best Western CEO and president David Kong started writing a blog known as "It's Personal". "As the name implies, I’ll take on issues that I’m passionate about," Kong wrote in his Read More
Thomas Cook India links up with Airbnb for international packages
News / Distribution
Thomas Cook India links up with Airbnb for international packages
By Martin Cowen | February 22, 2016
Indian travellers could soon be able to walk into a branch of Thomas Cook India and book a flight-plus-Airbnb package after the pair announced that they were looking at ways of working together. Ab Read More
Choice Hotels opens a vacation rental platform to (kind of) compete with Airbnb
News / Distribution
Choice Hotels opens a vacation rental platform to (kind of) compete with Airbnb
By Juliana Shallcross | February 18, 2016
Making good on its promise from last month, Choice Hotels confirmed that it will start offering vacation rentals. Choice Hotels CEO Steve Joyce had hinted at the Americas Lodging Investment Summit Read More
Airbnb, HomeAway watch: Goldman Sachs finds strong adoption by travelers
News / Online
Airbnb, HomeAway watch: Goldman Sachs finds strong adoption by travelers
By Sean O'Neil | February 17, 2016
Last month, investment bank Goldman Sachs downgraded the stocks of Priceline Group and TripAdvisor. One of its explanations was that it is worried that travelers are opting for property-sharing ser Read More
Has the Airbnb bubble burst?
News / Distribution
Has the Airbnb bubble burst?
By Martin Cowen | February 12, 2016
Only 4% of Americans are considering Airbnb for their next vacation according to a survey from forex giant Travelex. As part of the PR around its 40th anniversary, Travelex asked more than 2000 "ce Read More
Airbnb finds inspiration in the jungle for new campaign
News / Distribution
Airbnb finds inspiration in the jungle for new campaign
By Linda Fox | February 11, 2016
Competition for the home rental customer is intensifying with all parties trying to reach the consumer through clever campaigns. A few weeks ago it was HomeAway's "The Whole House. The Whole Family Read More
These startups strive to be the sharing economy stars of meeting spaces
News / Distribution
These startups strive to be the sharing economy stars of meeting spaces
By Rob Lovitt | February 8, 2016
Underused assets: They’re what drive the sharing economy. If you have a spare bedroom (or empty vacation home), Airbnb makes it easy to rent it out. If your car’s sitting in the garage, Turo and Getar Read More
How to use gamification to design memorable travel experiences
News
How to use gamification to design memorable travel experiences
By Viewpoints | February 8, 2016
The travel industry is at a point where market differentiation has become more crucial than ever. Sounds obvious, but why? NB: This is an analysis by Roman Egger and Paul Bulencea, authors of Ga Read More
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