Latest news with #AirbnbOriginals
The Star
05-06-2025
- Business
- The Star
Airbnb experiences themed after K-pop boy band Seventeen to be rolled out
Airbnb collaborates with K-pop group Seventeen as Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky emphasises Seoul as a strategic market. Photo: Handout In short-term lodging, experience could matter just as much or more than the spaces themselves, which is why a collaboration with a K-pop boy band such as Seventeen is beneficial, said Airbnb co-founder and chief executive Brian Chesky. The collaboration included replicating the set of Seventeen's music video Love, Money, Fame (2024) into real-life accommodation, allowing Carats – as Seventeen fans are dubbed – to experience a unique stay. The props from the music video were also used to furnish the Seventeen-inspired Airbnb room. At a press conference in Seoul on June 4, the vacation rental website's head honcho recalled working with the South Korean group in 2024, a project he said had proved to be hugely popular with not only Seventeen fans, but also Airbnb travellers as a whole, because of the unique experience it offered. 'We plan to roll out Seventeen-themed Airbnb programmes in major cities,' Chesky said at the press conference, without identifying where. This followed a meet-and-greet event for 60 Seventeen fans where the K-pop act were one-day-only special Airbnb hosts, in celebration of their 10th anniversary. Seventeen Airbnb Experience, as the fan gathering was called, was a demonstration of Airbnb Originals, a celebrity-hosted exclusive experience that is part of Airbnb Experiences. Airbnb Originals was launched in May to focus on unique activities run by local hosts. The programme is to help travellers experience their local surroundings with local hosts, according to Chesky. 'The biggest asset in people's lives is really not their home – it's their time. What if people could share not only their space, but their time with someone else?' he asked. The latest trip to Seoul by the Airbnb CEO is part of his global tour to promote Airbnb Experiences. He has made stops in Paris, Berlin, Milan and Tokyo, and emphasised that Seoul is a strategic market he finds deeply inspirational. According to Airbnb South Korea, bookings on the platform in the country in 2024 soared 20% from the previous year. The make-up of international visitors to South Korea is increasingly becoming diverse, the company added without elaboration. – The Korea Herald/Asia News Network
Korea Herald
05-06-2025
- Business
- Korea Herald
Airbnb CEO seeks closer ties with K-pop group Seventeen
In short-term lodging, experience could matter just as much or more than the spaces themselves, which is why a collaboration with a K-pop group such as Seventeen is so beneficial, according to Airbnb co-founder and CEO Brian Chesky. At a press conference in Seoul on Wednesday, the vacation rental website CEO recalled working with K-pop group Seventeen last year, a project Chesky said had proved to be hugely popular with not only Seventeen fans, but Airbnb travelers as a whole, because of the unique experience it offered. The collaboration involved locations that had appeared in Seventeen music videos. "We plan to roll out Seventeen-themed Airbnb programs at major cities," Chesky said at the conference, which followed a meet-and-greet event for 60 preselected Seventeen fans where the K-pop act were one-day-only special Airbnb hosts, celebrating the group's 10th anniversary together with fans. "Seventeen Airbnb Experience," as the fan gathering was called, was a demonstration of "Airbnb Originals," a celebrity-hosted exclusive experience that is part of "Airbnb Experiences," an ambitious program Airbnb launched in May to focus on unique activities run by local hosts. The program is to help travelers truly experience their local surroundings with local hosts who know just how to do so, according to Chesky. "The biggest asset in people's lives is really not their home — it's their time. What if people could share not only their space, but their time with someone else?" Chesky asked. The latest trip to Seoul by the Airbnb CEO is part of his global tour to promote Airbnb Experiences. Chesky has made stops at Paris, Berlin, Milan and Tokyo. The CEO emphasized that Seoul is a strategic market he personally finds deeply inspirational. According to Airbnb Korea, bookings on the platform in the country last year soared 20 percent from the previous year. The makeup of international visitors to South Korea is increasingly becoming diverse, the company added without elaboration.
Skift
27-05-2025
- Business
- Skift
Airbnb Exec: 'We've Learned a Lot About Experiences' – Full Video, Skift Asia Forum
Airbnb thinks its focus on high-quality experiences is the way to stand out in a crowded field. Airbnb Chief Business Officer Dave Stephenson recently spoke at the Skift Asia Forum in Bangkok, where he discussed the company's rollout of its new products for experiences and services Airbnb first tried offering experiences in 2016 and again in 2022, but it had paused those efforts. Airbnb has 'learned a lot about experiences over the last few years," Stephenson told Editor-in-Chief Sarah Kopit. Airbnb is also expanding into travel-related services such as personal chefs, photographers, and fitness trainers, services that replicate amenities often found in hotels but are now bookable through the Airbnb app. He also discussed Airbnb Originals, which include cooking lessons with Michelin-starred chefs in Tokyo and hangouts with celebrities like Megan Thee Stallion. Watch a full video of the discussion below: Highlights from Airbnb Chief Business Officer Dave Stephenson About Airbnb Originals: 'These are amazing experiences hosted by locals that know the cities best… high quality, interesting activities that people can do in cities all around the world.' On Airbnb's Focus on Quality: 'We don't just let any experience onto Airbnb. We have dedicated people that are reaching out and finding experiences ... We have some amazing, iconic experiences. But we're also bringing them down to local people that know those cities best.' About Airbnb's Ambition to Become a One-Stop Travel Platform: 'There's no app on the internet that's actually providing all of these services… We're eliminating reasons why people wouldn't want to stay in an Airbnb.' On a Challenging Economic Environment: 'We could actually see people hosting experiences or maybe they're experts at specific services, and they can actually do these to earn more money. So in times of economic uncertainty, they can bring their time and energy to be hosts.' About Airbnb's Expansion Into Travel-Related Amenities: "Now you can bring the spa to your Airbnb. You can bring your personal trainer to an Airbnb. You can have prepared meals or a chef come to you. So now, it's one more reason why an Airbnb is a better way to travel."
Skift
15-05-2025
- Business
- Skift
Can Airbnb Experiences Stand Out? It's Betting on Quality
The platform is offering experiences only available with Airbnb, like classes with Michelin star chefs and hang-out with singers, to differentiate itself from competitors. Airbnb is betting that standing out in a crowded field of experience platforms comes down to quality. Its strategy is to focus on "unique experiences" and to emphasize local providers that have been vetted. Airbnb has 'learned a lot about experiences over the last few years," said Chief Business Officer Dave Stephenson, who was speaking at the Skift Asia Forum just two days after the company relaunched its experiences product. Airbnb first tried offering experiences in 2016 and again in 2022, but it had paused those efforts. 'We've learned that people really desire them. But we need to make sure they are unique, different, and of the city,' Stephenson said. The latest experiences offerings are centered around curated activities hosted by what Stephenson called 'the world's most interesting people doing amazingly interesting things.' These curated experiences, called Airbnb Originals, include learning to make ramen with Michelin-starred chefs in Tokyo, or an experience with singer with Megan Thee Stallion. 'We don't just let any experience onto Airbnb,' Stephenson said. 'We're only bringing on experience hosts that know the city best.' 'Eliminating Reasons' Not to Stay With Airbnb Airbnb is also expanding into travel-related services such as personal chefs, photographers, and fitness trainers, services that replicate amenities often found in hotels but are now bookable through the Airbnb app. 'There are many reasons why you might want to go to a hotel to use the spa or gym,' Stephenson said. 'Well now you can bring your personal trainer or prepared meals or a chef to you.' These offerings are not tied to an Airbnb booking. 'You can do it in your Airbnb, in your own home, at the person's location,' he said. All bookings — stays, services, and experiences — are integrated under the 'Trips' tab in the Airbnb app. 'It makes it easy to find, easy to know where to be, when, and then it just makes the entire experience better.' 'We're just trying to make sure the stay is better, we're eliminating reasons why people wouldn't want to stay in Airbnb,' he added. 'We're trying to make these really approachable and affordable things you can do in your own town. Maybe you don't even need to travel and you can take an experience on a Saturday night,' Stephenson said. The average price of an experience is now $66 dollars, he said, with 50% of the platform's new services offerings priced under $50. Growing Local Travel Markets Airbnb is focusing on supporting travel markets differently in each community, Stephenson said. China is one of the top five outbound travel markets and Airbnb is focusing on 'making sure we support outbound Chinese travelers in the place they love to travel, like Korea and Japan,' highlighting experiences offerings like K-Pop band concerts, he said. 'In Korea, we need to make sure we show up locally - so we've added Navar Pay,' Stephenson said. Navar Pay is a mobile payment service popular in Korea. In Japan, where Stephenson noted 'very few people actually know about Airbnb', the company launched its first brand campaign last year. 'We've started to communicate it and talk to Japanese travelers that like to travel nearby, near their home, to get away for the weekend, about why Airbnb is a good way to do it.' 'Now we have a significant increase in the number of Japanese people that consider Airbnb as a way to travel. We have different approaches in each community and it's working really well,' he said.
7NEWS
15-05-2025
- 7NEWS
Airbnb introduces ‘services' and ‘experiences' for seamless holiday getaways
Booking a trip away has never been easier, and we've got Airbnb to thank for that. Offering a 'home away from home' experience, it's become a one-stop-shop for holiday rentals, cabins, beach houses and more, with thousands of accomodation options across the globe. Whether you're planning a luxurious city break in Paris, or looking to cosy up in the countryside for th weekend, there's endless homes to choose from, all located in the convenient and easy-to-use Airbnb app (or browser if you're searching on a desktop). But now you can book even more than just your accomodation. As of this week, Airbnb has extended their offerings, expanding to services and experiences, which can be booked directly through the new-look app which makes it easier than ever to plan, book and manage your itinerary. Think in-house chefs, massages and more, you could tailor your Airbnb stay to get the most out of your trip. Airbnb Services Whether you're after a chef for a special dinner, a photographer to update family photos or a hair and makeup artist for a special event, you can book all types of 'services' on Airbnb such as: Chefs Prepared meals Catering Photography Personal Training Massage Spa treatments Hair styling Makeup Nails All services available on Airbnb have been vetted for quality, ensuring hosts on offer are highly rated by customers and are recognised in their fields for the best experience. Airbnb Experiences Giving you the true 'local' taste, Airbnb experience offer incredible one-on-one interaction with local hosts who know the hidden delights in their own city. From walking food tours to exhilerating water sports, you could be exploring a new place in an authentic way. Think outdoor adventures, cooking classes, wellness classes and beauty experiences, you can now browse through a wide range of experience in the all-new Airbnb app. Aussies can even book to train with an ex Navy instructor on Bondi Beach or sip and savour Melbourne's coffee scene. Airbnb Originals For Aussies looking to elevate their travel experiences, Airbnb Originals has been introduced in many cities across the globe. Offering incredible experiences hosted by some of the world's most interested people, these bookings have been designed exlusively for Airbnb. Learn pastry-making at the renowned French Bastards bakery with chef Raphaelle Elbaz. Play beach volleyball with Olympian Carol Solberg on Rio's iconic Leblon Beach. Tap into your inner anime hero with Megan Thee Stallion, who's bringing her Otaku Hottie Quest to life. Hang out with Patrick Mahomes in Kansas City for a football-filled Sunday complete with his signature spiral and favourite BBQ.
