US: Airbnb has announced that it is removing individual tours and Experiences from its platform, just weeks after unveiling ‘Icons’, a new category of experiences hosted by stars from across music, sport, film and more.
11 ‘Icons’ Experiences were unveiled as part of Airbnb’s 2024 Summer Release, with stars from the fields of music, film, television, art and sport due to host “extraordinary” experiences in unique locations, letting guests “step into worlds you’ve only ever dreamed of”. The category was launched in partnership with companies such as Disney, Marvel and Pixar.
In addition, a set of new group trip planning features were also introduced, including shared wishlists, a new messages tab and trip invitations.
In an email sent out to affected providers on Friday, Airbnb wrote that it had “made the difficult decision to remove your Experience from Airbnb”, adding that it had considered “the Host’s expertise, the activity’s uniqueness and local relevance, and guests’ rating and reviews” before determining that it did not “meet our standards”.
Airbnb is set to remove the tours and Experiences listings on 20 June. Reservations beyond that date will be cancelled and guests will be refunded in full.
Providers who have been notified about the removal of their tours or Experiences will have 30 days to appeal Airbnb’s decision.
Airbnb first launched Experiences back in 2016, marking them out as “unique, memorable activities designed and hosted by locals that go beyond typical tours or workshops”. They also set out to provide deep insights and immersion into hosts’ passions and interests, giving guests a different way to experience a destination.
Since launching its Experiences product eight years ago, Airbnb has expanded the programme with several different iterations, ranging from Online Experiences during the Covid-19 pandemic to Experiences with athletes to mark the company’s partnership with the International Olympic and Paralympic Committees [IOC and IPC]. Now, the company is exploring a new marketing strategy that includes an expansion beyond its core short-term rental business, and more towards longer-term stays, Experiences, AI-powered features and more to be announced.
In the firm’s Q1 earnings announcement earlier this month, Airbnb said that nights and Experiences booked in Q1 of this year had increased 9.5 per cent year-over-year to 133 million. In the same announcement, the home-sharing company reported its most profitable first quarter to date, as net income saw a 126 per cent YoY rise and the 12 per cent net income margin was double the margin set in Q1 2023.
