🔍 Experiences Delistings
On May 2nd, Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky announced a significant wave of delistings from its travel experiences offerings. Operators were confused as they began receiving emails about these changes. Many of these delisted experiences, including walking tours, are set to be removed by June 20th, with refunds issued to guests who booked beyond this date. A company spokesperson clarified, “We regularly evaluate Experiences based on the host’s expertise, the activity’s uniqueness and local relevance, and guests’ ratings and reviews, and remove those that continue to provide low quality experiences.”
📈 Quality Control or Strategy?
In industry groups, operators speculated that this might be a more extensive purge than usual. Despite this, Airbnb will still list tens of thousands of travel experiences worldwide. The messages from Airbnb Support did not specify reasons but stated that certain experiences “do not meet our standards.” This has raised questions about whether this is purely a quality control measure or part of a broader strategy.
🔧 Staying the Course
During the recent quarterly earnings call, Airbnb reaffirmed its commitment to the experiences category. The launch of "Icons," a new product offering extraordinary experiences, indicates the company’s intent to diversify its brand. As Chesky mentioned, "What we want to do in addition to bringing back experiences… is we want to expand Airbnb’s brand positioning to include more than just a place to stay. People are now starting to think about us for experiences."
🔮 Future Prospects
Despite the recent upheaval, Airbnb continues to innovate in the experiences market. The company's strategy includes pausing new submissions on its experiences platform since last year and focusing on curated, high-quality offerings. Chesky’s vision suggests that Airbnb aims to be synonymous with unique travel experiences, not just accommodation. As the company navigates these strategic shifts, it remains to be seen how operators and customers will adapt.
Do you think Airbnb's strategy will pay off?
