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.

Seismic shift: Airbnb will let hosts sell tours and activities
News / Online
Seismic shift: Airbnb will let hosts sell tours and activities
By Kevin May | May 1, 2013
Airbnb was essentially always about being a marketplace to let home-owners earn some extra money by renting out a spare room or an entire property. But the model is slowly evolving. Read More
Want to see the future of ecommerce - look no further than eBay and Amazon
News / Online
Want to see the future of ecommerce - look no further than eBay and Amazon
By PhocusWire | April 26, 2013
There are many people gainfully (or otherwise) employed by technology companies second guessing what the future of ecommerce will look like. Read More
Insider Guides bring Gogobot content to Homeaway
News / Online
Insider Guides bring Gogobot content to Homeaway
By Nick Vivion | April 25, 2013
Crowd-sourced content continues to appeal to travel brands, as Gogobot and Homeaway partner on a product called Insider Guides that brings local insider knowledge to travelers. Read More
Kigo rental technology service secures $1.8 million funding round, plots expansion to Asia
News / Online
Kigo rental technology service secures $1.8 million funding round, plots expansion to Asia
By Kevin May | April 25, 2013
Back-end systems in the vacation rental sector are also on the receiving end of investment, as Spain-based Kigo wins a $1.8 million Series A injection this week. Read More
Airbnb, Kayak, and Expedia dish a bit about their plans
News / Online
Airbnb, Kayak, and Expedia dish a bit about their plans
By Sean O'Neil | April 10, 2013
At a panel talk in London last night, representatives from the European divisions of these major online players revealed insights into their strategies, the limits to their growth, and which smaller... Read More
Flatora acknowledges the challenges as it creates an Airbnb for the Russian market
News / Online
Flatora acknowledges the challenges as it creates an Airbnb for the Russian market
By Viewpoints | March 10, 2013
Flatora is Russia’s answer to Airbnb –it’s an online service for short-term accommodation rental in the region with its founders dubbing it the booking.com of the apartments rental market Read More
Previews looking ahead to SXSWi in Austin, Texas
News / Online
Previews looking ahead to SXSWi in Austin, Texas
By Nick Vivion | March 5, 2013
After spending hours combing through endless sessions and parties, here are some of the can't-miss happenings at SXSW 2013, in order of appearance. If you have an addition, please note it in the... Read More
Tujia secures Series B funding, total at $64 million as vacation rental market grows fast in Asia
News / Online
Tujia secures Series B funding, total at $64 million as vacation rental market grows fast in Asia
By Karthick Prabu | February 18, 2013
China-based vacation rental service startup Tujia secured its Series B funding from GGV Capital, Lightspeed Venture Partners, CDH Ventures, Qiming Venture Partners, Ctrip and HomeAway. Read More
Attack of the Clones - so big brands should rebel and fight back against less authentic startups
News / Online
Attack of the Clones - so big brands should rebel and fight back against less authentic startups
By Viewpoints | January 24, 2013
Is it me or are you noticing more travel startups that are really just technology businesses or media companies operating under the disguise as a leisure travel business? Read More
History of the Internet (and a few travel milestones) [INFOGRAPHIC]
News / Online
History of the Internet (and a few travel milestones) [INFOGRAPHIC]
By Linda Fox | January 15, 2013
A couple of things standout in this AVG infographic, some perhaps more obvious than others Read More
The travel industry can be absurd, so don't add to the suck factor - do something crazy instead
News / Online
The travel industry can be absurd, so don't add to the suck factor - do something crazy instead
By Sarah Kennedy Ellis | January 9, 2013
It was like a breath of fresh air and a punch in the face all at the same time, if that’s possible. Read More
Travel startups: ditch the consumer traction and focus on data
News / Online
Travel startups: ditch the consumer traction and focus on data
By Alex Bainbridge | January 8, 2013
There has been plenty of digital inches written recently about the Series A crunch. Is it real? I don't know. Read More
LocalMind purchase next step on Airbnb's path to local domination
News / Online
LocalMind purchase next step on Airbnb's path to local domination
By Nick Vivion | December 17, 2012
Montreal-based Localmind has announced that it has been acquired by Airbnb last week, the second acquisition by Airbnb in 4 months demonstrating the company's continued pursuit of dominance in the local... Read More
Airbnb moving in to tours and activities? An obvious strategy to continue its disruptive model
News / Online
Airbnb moving in to tours and activities? An obvious strategy to continue its disruptive model
By Daniele Beccari | December 10, 2012
Airbnb, the most talked about travel startup of 2012, is taking a close look at adding local activities to run alongside the home booking service. Read More
How to kill Airbnb at its own game
News / Online
How to kill Airbnb at its own game
By Viewpoints | December 4, 2012
Airbnb is the darling poster child of the entire startup world right now. The company raised $200 million in its latest round, at a valuation of $2.5 billion. Read More
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