Airbnb came on the scene in 2008, amidst corporate scandal, economic downturn and instability. Initially people were skeptical, but they have gained remarkable momentum building its platform with transparency and trust, at a time people were greatly seeking both. In the early years, their inclusive and diverse model provided low-cost travel options with uncommon flexibility, which became an enticing alternative to the traditional big-name hotel booking systems.
The social component and owner-intimacy of Airbnb also intrigued adventurous solo travelers, seeking more local and organic destination experiences. The notion of exploring beautiful places “off the beaten path” always holds distinct appeal. These systems produced bookings based on realistic travel and stay expectations and a digest of genuine, host and guest reviews. This created an alternative to staying at expensive hotels and made travel experiences more accessible and adventurous for a wider variety of people, incomes and lifestyles.
Another upside of Airbnb is that it is widely perceived as a people’s platform. It has empowered an enormous volume of people to earn money by hosting guests in their homes, rooms or by sharing travel and tour experiences. These features in addition to a foundation of honesty and process transparency have made Airbnb a game changer for the travel market.
Sustainability and Health
The popularity of Airbnb has generated not only new views on style and stays, but they have moved into the experiential and event market, promoting local attractions, events, and various travel experiences. In April, Airbnb expanded its programming yet again to include a new Global Office of Healthy Tourism and announced the formation of its new Tourism Advisory Board. These new dynamics support local resources, sustainable tourism, rural regeneration and ecological impact.
Airbnb released new data highlighting their strides and support of healthy tourism. Some of these include, “88% of Airbnb hosts around the world incorporate green practices into hosting, 79% of guests said they decided to use Airbnb because they wanted to live like a local, and 66% of guests said the environmental benefits of home sharing were important in their choice of Airbnb.”
There’s no question, forming alliances and collaborating with other companies is a magnificent thing. We are experiencing an era of soft and dramatic and change across multiple industries. A part of that change, is increasing the propensity to work together in bigger ways. While this is true, hotels and resorts have traditionally maintained their autonomy within their singular locations or the boundaries of their respective brands.
As new travel aspects surface across Airbnb initiatives, the contest to compete is constantly evolving. For hotels and resorts this presents an exciting opportunity to initiate innovative hotel experiences. It’s time to review and replace outmoded guest methodology and program structures with new, more adaptable and effective strategic targets.
Comparative Pricing
Depending on the choice of property, destination and time of year, hotel pricing can vary substantially. Many times, pricing is based on availability, season or simply demand. Airbnb pricing can vary for similar reasons to hotels. However, these rates have become increasingly competitive as the their platform continues to thrive. The chart below, highlights hotel vs. Airbnb average rates in some select U.S. cities.
