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 quietly tries a new approach to selling tours and activities
News
Airbnb quietly tries a new approach to selling tours and activities
By Kevin May | May 12, 2014
Airbnb is struggling to stay out of the news with various regulatory issues in the US  - but behind the scenes it's still trying out new things. As it looks to fend off growing levels noise from th Read More
B&Bs: Don't let Airbnb eat you for breakfast
News / Online
B&Bs: Don't let Airbnb eat you for breakfast
By Viewpoints | May 6, 2014
Airbnb has taken the world by storm, but not without controversy. NB: This is an opinion from Mary White, CEO of BnBFinder, bed-and-breakfast directory. Just last week the American Hotel and Lod Read More
A possible blueprint for success with tours and activities marketplaces
News / Distribution
A possible blueprint for success with tours and activities marketplaces
By Viewpoints | May 5, 2014
The meteoric growth of collaborative and P2P consumption in travel is creating new ways for people to connect and to exchange services. NB: This is an analysis by David Urmann, founder of Touristli Read More
Hotels: take your heads out of the sand and get over the Airbnb threat
News / Distribution
Hotels: take your heads out of the sand and get over the Airbnb threat
By Viewpoints | May 2, 2014
Have you heard the one about wrestling with the jewel case to listen to your new CD? *Crickets* NB: This is an opinion from Susan Barry, president at Hive Marketing. Of course you haven’t – a Read More
American hotel association to fight Airbnb and short-term rentals
News / Online
American hotel association to fight Airbnb and short-term rentals
By Sean O'Neil | April 30, 2014
The hotel industry is finally mustering its considerable public relations and lobbying muscle to tackle the topic of short-term online rental companies, such as Airbnb. In a message to its members Read More
HouseTrip axes private rooms from portfolio, will lose 5% of product
News / Online
HouseTrip axes private rooms from portfolio, will lose 5% of product
By Kevin May | April 15, 2014
Shifting of the sand in the vacation rental marketplace with confirmation that HouseTrip is scrapping all listings of private rooms from its database. HouseTrip informed hosts of the "important cha Read More
Investors don't mind legal bills of risk takers such as Airbnb and Uber
News
Investors don't mind legal bills of risk takers such as Airbnb and Uber
By PhocusWire | April 7, 2014
STARTUPS: The legal minefield that has become the sharing economy over the past 12 months or so would, under perhaps normal circumstances, put off anyone with half a brain. But the potential rewards Read More
The future of SEO: Personalized search results, Google data collection and the IoT [VIDEO]
News / Technology
The future of SEO: Personalized search results, Google data collection and the IoT [VIDEO]
By Nick Vivion | April 3, 2014
[video_popup width="805" height="454" video_link="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KMVYSVHW2gc" video_image_link="https://www.tnooz.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/DealScoopr-main1.jpg"] SEOs from ac Read More
Airbnb's Shared City initiative spawns paid hotel taxes in Portland, San Francisco
News / Distribution
Airbnb's Shared City initiative spawns paid hotel taxes in Portland, San Francisco
By Nick Vivion | April 1, 2014
Accommodations booked through hosts on Airbnb will soon be charged hotel taxes in both Portland, Oregon, and San Francisco, California. The announcement comes on the heels of CEO Brian Chesky's ove Read More
Should every company wake up to the sharing economy?
News / Distribution
Should every company wake up to the sharing economy?
By PhocusWire | March 17, 2014
SOCIAL: A string of new businesses have emerged in recent years which have re-shaped parts of how the travel industry operate. But the idea that every company should be thinking about how they can t Read More
Startup pitch: PoolCircle aims to be at centre of peer-to-peer services
News / Technology
Startup pitch: PoolCircle aims to be at centre of peer-to-peer services
By Karthick Prabu | February 14, 2014
There are countless individual providers of peer-to-peer services in the accommodation, connecting locals with travellers and car rental segments. But how about bringing all those players under one Read More
Startup pitch: RoomnHouse targets alternatives in Asia and Middle East
News / Distribution
Startup pitch: RoomnHouse targets alternatives in Asia and Middle East
By Karthick Prabu | February 11, 2014
India-based RoomnHouse offers travellers alternate accommodation options by allowing private accommodation owners to list their properties on the site. These accommodation options could be a shared Read More
Beyond the sharing economy-hipster hype - The REAL Airbnb effect
News
Beyond the sharing economy-hipster hype - The REAL Airbnb effect
By Viewpoints | February 7, 2014
If I had an apartment or a house in a popular tourist destination, Airbnb would be my dream come true. NB: This is an opinion from Steve Brenner, co-owner of the Cross-Pollinate information site, o Read More
Startup pitch: RoomLion aims for global marketplace for serviced apartments
News / Distribution
Startup pitch: RoomLion aims for global marketplace for serviced apartments
By Karthick Prabu | February 3, 2014
Whilst the market is witnessing a number of peer-to-peer accommodation sharing services, India-based startup RoomLion focuses on one particular type. It is aiming to build a web marketplace for onl Read More
Take two: Airbnb rolls out new marketing initiative with a UGC contest
News / Online
Take two: Airbnb rolls out new marketing initiative with a UGC contest
By Nick Vivion | January 27, 2014
Airbnb had a difficult end to 2013, with a botched marketing campaign that included a trademark infringement lawsuit from competitor HomeAway. After scrapping the Birdbnb campaign, the company is b Read More
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