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Airbnb launches City Portal for local governments
Reading Time: 2 minutesWorldwide: In its continuing attempts to work with local governments, Airbnb has launched its City Portal, a dedicated solutions platform for municipalities. The portal offers a dashboard, featuring Airbnb Data, compliance solutions, direct access to team members, and a central location for enforcement resources. In keeping with its community compact, Airbnb forged individual partnerships with […]
50 Urban Innovators changing the way we live- Part Two
Reading Time: 6 minutesWorldwide: In the lead up to URBAN LIVING FESTIVAL 2020: stay-live-work, taking place 25-26 November at Tobacco Dock in London, International Hospitality Media has created a list of 50 innovators who have changed urban life. These 50 have led some of the most dynamic, exciting and successful businesses in the UK and abroad, all of […]
Airbnb rumoured to be filing for IPO this month
Reading Time: 2 minutesUS: Airbnb is rumoured to be on the verge for filing for its initial public offering [IPO] later this month in an unexpectedly rapid development for the home-sharing behemoth. According to The Wall Street Journal, the company is set to file the relevant paperwork with the Securities and Exchange Commission before the end of the […]
Airbnb approached for blank-cheque acquisition company merger
Reading Time: 5 minutesUS: Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky has revealed the company was recently approached about going public via a merger with a blank-cheque acquisition company on a Reuters Newsmaker webinar on Wednesday. Mergers with so-called special purpose acquisition companies [SPACs] are seen as a relatively new but increasingly popular way of listing on the stock market. SPACs […]
Airbnb ramps up 2020 IPO plans amid management reshuffle
Reading Time: 3 minutesUS: Airbnb has undergone another management reshuffle in preparation for the revival of its initial public offering [IPO] plans later this year. CEO and co-founder, Brian Chesky, this week confirmed in an internal meeting that Greg Greeley, head of Airbnb’s core rental accommodation business Homes, would be stepping down. In addition, head of Experiences, Catherine […]
Chesky shares vision for post-pandemic travel “redistribution”
Reading Time: 2 minutesUS: Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky has this week reiterated that the global travel industry will “never be the same again” as it was pre-pandemic, and that not only will tourists travel more within their countries but they will also look to visit and explore less-publicised tourist destinations. While initially hesitant to make any concrete predictions […]
World Travel and Tourism Council unveils rental protocols
Reading Time: 2 minutesWorldwide: The World Travel and Tourism Council [WTTC] has unveiled a new set of safe travelling protocols, covering attractions, car hires, and short-term rentals. This third phase of measures is part of the council’s ‘Safe Travels’ initiative, hoping to reduce risk and bolster consumer confidence. The WTTC, which represents the travel industry private sector, held […]
Airbnb adds further virtual experiences
Reading Time: 2 minutesUS: Following the launch of its Online Experiences program in April due to the coronavirus pandemic, Airbnb is adding a further set of immersive, virtual experiences for members to learn a new activity during the ongoing lockdown period. Airbnb initially launched the program to offer more than 400 activities for guests to try something new […]
Airbnb refuses to rule out IPO this year after rebound
Reading Time: 3 minutesUS: Airbnb is refusing to rule out the possibility of moving ahead with its initial public offering [IPO] by the end of the year, after the process was initially scheduled to begin on 31 March. It comes as the company reports a recent surge in bookings for listings across the United States between 17 May […]
My take on Chesky: Handling of layoffs proves empathy belongs anywhere
Reading Time: 11 minutesUS: Three months ago, Airbnb had more than three million hosts and seven million listings worldwide. CEO and co-founder, Brian Chesky, stood on the cusp of taking the company public. The San Francisco-based startup that launched in 2008 as a “couch surfing” letting service [AirBed and Breakfast] has since expanded into a travel behemoth that […]