Airbnb is evolving as a company, aiming to be involved with all aspects of the travel experience. But, before it can do this it needs to show it can provide a service users can trust.
Airbnb’s recent ousting of CFO Laurence Tosi – a banker who wanted Airbnb to act more like a traditional travel firm and get the company ready to go public – suggests the company is going to focus more on innovation and expansion into new products, rather than short-term financial goals.
Brian Chesky, the company’s CEO, wants Airbnb to become an end-to-end travel company and has invested heavily in so-called experiences, including concerts in secret locations which support up-and-coming local talent.
The CEO sees Airbnb as a company with an infinite time horizon, but, before the company can become a sustainable long-term travel business, it has some immediate issues it needs to solve.
Some of the biggest challenges the company currently faces are media articles telling horror stories from guests, pop-up brothels, and illegal renting.
On Thursday, Airbnb is set to launch the “biggest changes to [the] platform in [the company’s] ten-year history”, while what this fully entails remains unknown, these changes are likely to focus on tackling some of these issues.
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By GlobalDataOn February 22, we’ll be sharing biggest changes to our platform in our ten-year history and embrace our infinite time horizon.
— Brian Chesky (@bchesky) January 25, 2018
Among the changes, Airbnb Select is expected to be introduced. The so-called Select scheme is essentially a quality-controlled Airbnb service, with only the highest-rated hosts able to participate in the programme.
Hosts included in the Select programme are required to forego an inspection and meet certain criteria such as cleanliness, single-use toiletries, and availability of tea and coffee.
This provides users with a higher level of quality assurance than previously available and brings the Airbnb guest experience closer to that of a hotel.
Hosts who comply with the requirements will benefit from factors such as a professional photographer for their home, will feature more commonly in searches, and have the ability to charge higher prices to guests.
Introducing accommodation which the company has essentially vetted is a move away from Airbnb’s original business model.
But, is a step in the right direction if the company does want to become a “community driven superbrand” involved in all aspects of the travel experience.
Airbnb needs to show it is able to provide a trusted service and stamping out the problems that put people off the platform and create negative press will be essential to achieve this.
