Airbnb looks beyond bedrooms

Following the recent launch of Airbnb Trips, which gives Airbnb users access to a range of experiences in 12 cities around the world, word is spreading that the company is now looking to expand into flight-booking.

This comes as several established travel companies have started encroaching on Airbnb’s territory – notably Expedia, who paid $3.9bn for Airbnb competitor HomeAway in 2015.

A potential expansion may help Airbnb develop a wider range of revenue streams as it continues to battle with both local renting laws in many cities and increased competition from both established travel players and new entrants, like Google which launched its own Trips travel service earlier this year.

We expect to see more companies develop, expand and pivot like Airbnb over the coming year, across all sectors from travel and shopping to b2b, as the demands on technology, finance, and experience continue to evolve.