Job search
Job Search
Latest news
More news: (showing 1 - 20 of 13971)           
UK only International

Airbnb eyes share of wider travel market

By Jak Phillips    23 Sep 2014
Airbnb co-founder Nathan Blecharczyk has previously outlined the company's plans to conquer the Asian market

Online spare room rental service Airbnb is poised to expand its travel offerings through an online marketplace that would enable locals to sell tours and a range of other experiences related to their city.

The plan, which is part of a strategy to build on Airbnb’s success in the accommodation market and transform the company into a hospitality firm, is one of several ways the US-based outfit is bidding to increase its share of traveller’s spending. As of the beginning of this year, Airbnb was operating in 34,000 cities across 192 countries, meaning the potential reach for this new marketplace is enormous.

“We think there’s huge opportunities for other services on top of accommodation,” Airbnb chief executive Brian Chesky told The Sunday Telegraph “If I’m coming to London, what do I do in London? We think we have an opportunity to enhance your trip and enhance your experience.”

The fast-growing company recently attracted $500m (€389m £306m) in venture capital and has been reported to be trialling a number of new services outside of its core accommodation market, such as a service that would allow people to sell seats at their dinner table online.

In an interview for the Q1 2014 edition of Leisure Management magazine, Airbnb co-founder Nathan Blecharczyk outlined the company’s plans to conquer the Asian market with sustained investment across 2014.

“We’ve had properties in Asia for a long time, but for the first time we have critical mass and sustained growth and we’re going to continue to invest over there,” said Blecharczyk.

“It’s incredibly exciting to be doing things on a global scale and to realise that what you’re doing is not only helping individuals but also creating a macro economic trend – the sharing economy. It’s just amazing to be changing the world.”

Sign up for FREE ezines

Company profile

Company profile: PSLT Ltd
PSLT offer a range of new and refurbished fitness equipment being the UK supplier of DHZ equipment and the SPLAN Fitness Mirror, in addition we offer maintenance, repair and on site upholstery service nationwide, with a network of engineers in fully equipped vans to enable a first time fix wherever possible.
View full profile >
More company profiles

Featured Supplier

CoverMe extends matching service to personal training, rewriting how members and personal trainers connect
CoverMe, the global leader in fitness workforce management, today launches CoverMe PT, an on-demand personal training platform that connects the right personal trainer to the right client in under 10 seconds.
View full details >
More featured suppliers

Property & Tenders

Location: Stratford, East London.
Company: Lee Valley Regional Park Authority
Location: Y Felinheli, LL56 4QN
Company: Newmark
Location: Newhaven, Sussex
Company: EiA Real Estate
Location: Tutbury Castle, Staffordshire
Company: Savills
Location: Oxford
Company: University of Oxford
More properties & tenders

Diary dates

22-23 Jun 2026
WX Wakefield , Wakefield, United Kingdom
21-24 Sep 2026
The Langham Huntington Pasadena , Pasadena, United States
06-08 Oct 2026
Messe Stuttgart, Stuttgart, Germany
22-22 Oct 2026
QEII Conference Centre, London
More diary dates