Hopefully, you’ve been taking out the trash at your Airbnb bookings because recent news suggests your rating may soon extend beyond home rentals.
What happened: Airbnb will let travellers book a range of new experiences in Canada this year, including gallery visits, menu tastings, and guided tours for an average price of $92. Experience hosts will be vetted like other listings on the platform and give Airbnb a 20% cut of every booking.
- Airbnb is also launching services, which users can order directly to where they’re staying, including chefs, spa treatments, personal training and professional makeup.
- The company has dabbled in experiences before, but re-focusing on the program signals its goal of enticing a new generation of travellers to spend more on its platform.
Yes, but: Becoming a go-to destination for experiences won’t be easy. Airbnb will have to compete with well-established tour operators like Tripadvisor’s Viator and GetYourGuide, which in 2023 stated that it hosts more than 75,000 activities from over 16,000 operators.
- "I'm sure there will be challenges," says Jay Carney, head of policy and communications at Airbnb. "But it's really about expanding the business and making the experience overall better."
Why it matters: According to a recent McKinsey survey, Gen Zs are prioritizing experiences over every other expense on vacations. The numbers back it up: Last year, the CEO of Tripadvisor said the company's record revenue was purely driven by growth in experiences.