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 claims to double NYC economic impact to $1.15 billion
News
Airbnb claims to double NYC economic impact to $1.15 billion
By Nick Vivion | May 13, 2015
Airbnb has nearly doubled its economic impact in New York City during 2014, a new study has found. According to the research, which was conducted by HR&A Advisors, the total impact of Airbnb guest Read More
Russia remains on the global roadmap
News / Distribution
Russia remains on the global roadmap
By Viewpoints | May 13, 2015
The economic situation remains unstable in Russia and many startups are losing faith in the Russian market. But at the same time, some major players are placing their trust in the “crisis means new op Read More
Travelport ramps up accommodation strategy, acknowledges possible role in sharing economy
News / Distribution
Travelport ramps up accommodation strategy, acknowledges possible role in sharing economy
By Kevin May | May 7, 2015
Travelport says it will soon add vacation rental properties to its distribution network, in a bid to widen the accommodation options to agencies. Speaking following its Q1 2015 results, president a Read More
GuestToGuest nabs cash from peer-to-peer insurance specialist
News / Distribution
GuestToGuest nabs cash from peer-to-peer insurance specialist
By Martin Cowen | May 6, 2015
France-based home exchange business GuestToGuest has raised €4 million ($4.5 million) and wants to have a million members within three years. French insurance firm MAIF has made the investment. Read More
Do sharing economy startups have a civic duty to share data?
News
Do sharing economy startups have a civic duty to share data?
By Nick Vivion | May 5, 2015
The sharing economy — most notably Airbnb and Uber — grapples with regulation across the world on a daily basis. One of the biggest hurdles is related to data privacy and protecting that data from Read More
Startup pitch: Misterbnb, an Airbnb alternative for gay travel, raises $2 million
News
Startup pitch: Misterbnb, an Airbnb alternative for gay travel, raises $2 million
By Sean O'Neil | May 4, 2015
Misterbnb, founded in April 2013 in Paris, is a short-term rental platform aimed at gay travelers. It says it has raised $2 million in a seed round. The round was led by Pole Capital, a French vent Read More
Travel startups: Don't bring a knife to a gunfight
News
Travel startups: Don't bring a knife to a gunfight
By Alex Bainbridge | April 28, 2015
The travel industry has not been very receptive recently to digital travel startups. Yes, articles are written, conference startup pitch invites are received, but generally the incumbents, or digit Read More
Startup pitch: Beyond Pricing seeks to boost revenue for property rentals
News / Distribution
Startup pitch: Beyond Pricing seeks to boost revenue for property rentals
By Linda Fox | April 8, 2015
A few weeks ago Beyond Pricing gained some column inches for attracting seed funding of $1.5 million in a round led by Resolute Ventures. The startup, which launched last June and specialises in pr Read More
Airbnb jumps ahead of hotel brands with over 1,000 listings in Cuba
News / Distribution
Airbnb jumps ahead of hotel brands with over 1,000 listings in Cuba
By Nick Vivion | April 2, 2015
Airbnb is the first American accommodation brand to make serious inroads into Cuba, offering over 1,000 homes for rent in Cuba starting today. This sort of speed and scope is one of Airbnb's primar Read More
Ritz-Carlton, Hyatt and American Airlines are all top performers on social
News / Online
Ritz-Carlton, Hyatt and American Airlines are all top performers on social
By Nick Vivion | March 25, 2015
Ritz Carlton, Hyatt and American Airlines all perform well on social, at least according to the latest rankings by social media performance indexer eValue Analytics. The company provides a ranking Read More
Surprise! Airbnb comes in dead last as Millennials' preferred accommodation
News / Online
Surprise! Airbnb comes in dead last as Millennials' preferred accommodation
By Nick Vivion | March 20, 2015
It's not often that hotels have something to celebrate when it comes to the sharing economy, but a recent survey of Millennials placed Airbnb dead last as a preferred accommodation type. The result Read More
HRS shows why online travel agencies need a vacation rental strategy
News / Distribution
HRS shows why online travel agencies need a vacation rental strategy
By Kevin May | March 11, 2015
HRS is poised to attack the vacation rental sector in a major way, shining another light on where the next online travel agency battleground is likely to be. The European OTA, which has a significa Read More
HomeAway shares its game plan during investor roadshow
News / Online
HomeAway shares its game plan during investor roadshow
By Sean O'Neil | March 3, 2015
Vacation rental giant HomeAway has been sending its executive team around the US this month to talk to rooms full of investors, to get the word out about its stock. This week, chief executive Brian Read More
Move along there now, Airbnb just looking for business as usual
News / Distribution
Move along there now, Airbnb just looking for business as usual
By Linda Fox | February 26, 2015
It must be exciting in the early days to be dubbed disruptive and gain column inches, good and bad, for every move you make. And then, there must come a time when you just want to fit into the land Read More
Behind the scenes of Airbnb's impressively intricate commercial
News / Online
Behind the scenes of Airbnb's impressively intricate commercial
By Nick Vivion | February 25, 2015
Move over Wes Anderson, there's a new twee game in town: it's Airbnb's latest commercial, which can only be described as the world's most intricate model train experience. The brand is so pleased w Read More
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