Airbnb has just unveiled a complete overhaul of its application and begins a strategic turning point. The company, historically positioned on the travel market, expands its perimeter of action to integrate a service offer for travelers … and residents.
It was in Los Angeles that Brian Chesky, co -founder and CEO of Airbnb, presented what he considers “the beginning of a new chapter”. Beyond an interface update, this is a deep reconfiguration of the offer: the platform will now reserve local services, cooking lessons, home care, tourist guides, prepared meals or well-being services, in its own city as much as in travel.
“People think that Airbnb is a travel business. We are one of the biggest brands in the sector, but from today, we are no longer limited to travel, “said Chesky in an interview broadcast by CNBC.
A redefinition of the model, inspired by Amazon
The new service is based on a logic of extension of the Airbnb model to other forms of human intermediation. “” What if we could airbnb-ie the whole world?“Advanced Brian Chesky. The displayed ambition is to become the reference platform to book services, in a fluid manner, as we reserve accommodation.
The leader quotes as an Amazon example, often described as “The Everything Store”, but with an important nuance: ” Amazon is all that holds in a cardboard box. It is not the services. For Chesky, this void creates a strategic space in which Airbnb can engage.
The company will launch this new functionality in ten categories of services. Ultimately, she believes that there may be “tens, even hundreds” of usable categories.
An integrated service offer, beyond the trip
Airbnb thus introduces ten first categories available in certain pilot cities, with an objective of progressive extension. Among the services offered:
-
- Home chiefs : For private meals on site or in rented accommodation.
- Massages and wellness care : services accessible at home or homelessness.
- Local guided tours : cultural or natural activities carried out by premises.
- Course and workshops : cooking, photography, yoga, pottery or mixology.
- Craft and creative activities : proposed by professionals or artists.
- Sports experiences : hikes, surfing, paddle, climbing, etc.
- Private events : dinners, intimate concerts or themed evenings.
- Practical services : hairstyle, coaching, aesthetic care, etc.
- Activities for children or families : formats adapted to different audiences.
- Exclusive meetings : With “inspiring” profiles, selected by Airbnb.
The application offers new features associated with this offer: geolocated research, enriched profiles, local favorites, continuous messaging and integrated payment.
“Almost two in three jobs in the United States are service jobs,” said Chesky, who sees in this vast and fragmented market a potential comparable to that of e-commerce at its beginnings.
Why does Airbnb opt for this diversification?
This strategic turn responds to several economic and competitive logics. First, it allows Airbnb to Reduce its dependence on tourism cycles. Proximity services can be consumed in all seasons, in its city of origin, without the need for a trip. This stabilizes the activity and widens the base of use.
Then this diversification is based on the existing, Airbnb has a massive audience, payment systems, reputation, customer support, and a brand image associated with human experience. It can thus enhance its infrastructure without external acquisition costs.
The development of this offer also allows reactivate the old vertical “experiences” Launched in 2016, which had been put in standby during the pandemic. Today it returns to an extended format, also covering the needs of everyday life.
It is also a defensive movement Faced with the rise of actors such as Google Maps, Yelp or apps specializing in urban services. Airbnb intends to position itself as a “Super-App” of the human and local linkby capturing consumption intentions formerly external to its perimeter.
Finally, the services offer Airbnb better margin levers, More frequent services, less complex logically than accommodation, with smaller baskets but potentially higher commission rates.
A background technological and organizational project
This repositioning required in -depth work on the infrastructure. “” I thought we could simply extend our model, but we had to rebuild our technological stack, rewrite our application, rethink our marketing. We had to create new departments. This mobilized the whole business for one to two years“Explained the Airbnb founder co
The new application also makes it possible to create enriched profiles for users and hosts, and to initiate sustainable interactions between participants in the same activity, including after experience. An orientation which reflects a desire for more relational, even community positioning.
A logic of local anchoring, beyond tourism
With this extension, Airbnb aspires to get out of the strict field of tourism booking. The application becomes a tool for daily life for users in their own city, in connection with their neighborhood, their community, and local providers.
Asked about the risk of brand dilution, Brian Chesky specifies that the company no longer considers itself as a simple ota (online travel agency): “ We try to draw our own trajectory, to create our own category. “He adds:” We are not trying to create an online social network, but to build a form of social network in the real world. »»
This evolution is part of a broader trend of platforms aimed at capturing attention and local intention, hitherto dominated by Google Maps, Yelp or vertical actors such as Treatwell, Urban or Classpass.
