Latest news with #Airbnb
Bloomberg
3 hours ago
- Business
- Bloomberg
Airbnb Considering Loyalty Program Following Services Launch
Airbnb Inc.'s business chief said a loyalty program is 'under consideration,' with the launch of the company's experiences and services business putting the home-sharing platform in a 'better position' to reward customers. While Airbnb has no imminent launch plans, it has 'a lot of the tools and elements that would make a compelling loyalty program in the future,' Chief Business Officer Dave Stephenson said in an interview at Bloomberg's office in Chicago. He was in the city to mark the company's first global live music partnership with Lollapalooza festivals around the world.
Irish Times
6 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Irish Times
US actor jailed for five years for raping woman in Dublin Airbnb
An American actor who raped a 19-year-old woman in a Dublin Airbnb and choked her until she passed out has been jailed for five years. Kevin Yungman (32) pleaded guilty at the Central Criminal Court to one charge of raping the woman in June 2018.. Yungman, with an address in Florida, was arrested in the US in August 2024 and extradited back to Ireland. The court heard that Yungman met the Brazilian woman in Paris three months before the assault in an Airbnb at Usher's Quay in Dublin's city centre. READ MORE She was 19 at the time and was working in Dublin, while Yungman was 25 years old. In Paris they had consensual sex, but Yungman had told her to take a deep breath before he placed a hand on her neck, causing her to pass out. Yungman later explained to her this was a technique he did when he was having sex. He said when a person passes out it feels like you have taken drugs, adding that it was normal and suggested it could be addictive. The woman told him she was scared by it. They met in a Dublin Airbnb the following June. They had consensual sexual activity before Yungman raped the woman. He placed his arms around her neck and squeezed hard. She tried to keep his arms away from her but she could not move out. The woman later told gardaí she could not cope with it and asked him to 'please stop' telling him 'my body cannot take it'. Yungman said he would give her a break and they could go back to it later. Kevin Yungman has been sentenced to a five year jail term after pleading guilty to one charge of rape. Photograph: Broward County Sheriff's Office Detective Garda Kerrie Sullivan told Anne Rowland, senior prosecuting counsel, that Yungman was questioned by gardaí immediately after the rape when he was stopped at Dublin Airport. He strenuously denied choking the woman and said any activity was consensual. He was released without charge after questioning and was permitted to return to the US pending direction from the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP). The court heard the plea was acceptable to the DPP and was based on this rape. In a statement to the court, the woman described experiencing panic attacks, mood swings, anxiety, suicidal thoughts, dysfunctional relationships and losing her faith in God. 'At 19, I didn't properly understand what was happening,' said the woman, who had just lost both of her parents. 'In hindsight, I was vulnerable when I met him and he saw this in me ... This was manipulation and not my fault,' she said. 'When I truly felt alive again, was when I heard him say the word 'guilty',' the woman said, adding that 'instantly life felt colourful again'. She outlined an incident where Yungman had sex with the woman on the sofa in the Dublin apartment after she told him she did not want to do anything. Yungman's mother took the stand, telling the woman: 'From the deepest place in my heart, and as a mam and as a woman, I want to say sorry. There is nothing that I can say that is going to erase the pain. I want you to know that I heard every word that you said and I feel your pain'. She said she taught her children the difference between right and wrong, and 'what happened to you should not happen to anyone'. 'I believe in accountability and that every wrongdoing must have a consequence. He needed to acknowledge his actions,' she said. The thought of her son being in an Irish prison while she is in America is 'breaking my heart', she said, but 'even in our pain we understand that justice must be served'. 'Even in our pain we know we stand behind the truth and we know this is the truth. I pray every day that you heal from this,' she said. Mr Justice Tony Hunt said it was very unusual in a case such as this for a parent to take the stand and address the court in this manner. He said: 'Your son is very fortunate'. The judge imposed a sentence of six years with the final year suspended on strict conditions. He backdated this to August 2024, when Yungman went into custody in the US.
Daily Record
7 hours ago
- Daily Record
The chalet in Scotland's 'Jewel of the Highlands' you can rent out for holiday
"The property is just wonderful and in the most beautiful surroundings." A chalet in a picturesque Scottish village can currently be booked out for a staycation. The settlement is often referred to as the 'Jewel of the Highlands'. Cladaich Lodge is holiday accommodation that is situated in Plockton in the Wester Ross area of the Scottish Highlands. The village is home to a population of around just a few hundred people, and is renowned for its spectacular scenery. Currently, the chalet is available to book through Airbnb. The accommodation is priced at £120 per night, with additional cleaning and service fees. Cladaich Lodge is a 'Luxury Eco Lodge' looking out Loch Carron and Plockton 's Harbour Street. One of its highlights is its split-level decking that leads down to a quiet shore where guests can enjoy the water. Inside, the accommodation features a living room with large windows looking out over the water. There is also a kitchen with a freezer, blender, coffee maker, cooker, and more. The bedroom in the chalet features a king bed, as well as extra pillows and blankets and darkening blinds. Completing the accommodation is a dining room and a bathroom with a shower. According to the Airbnb listing, Cladaich Lodge has been "furnished to a high standard with high quality furniture". In addition to underfloor heating, extras include an Amazon Echo and a Smart TV. Cladaich Lodge has received a rating of 4.99 out of five on Airbnb, based on 182 reviews. The accommodation has not received a single negative review. But some people may prefer to stay somewhere more traditional. Plockton is home to a number of hotels and inns for those seeking a different type of accommodation in the village. Two of these are the Plockton Inn and The Plockton Hotel. The Plockton Inn features recently refurbished rooms, while it serves up fresh seafood in its restaurant. Elsewhere, The Plockton Hotel is a family-run hotel right on the seafront with its own beer garden. One Cladaich Lodge guest posted: "The property is just wonderful and in the most beautiful surroundings. Very private and the lodge has everything you need and feels so tranquil and spotless. "Amazing view which was captivating to watch in all weather's. Ian and Annes place was very clean and immediately felt right at home with easy check in." A second echoed: "Cladaich Lodge is a beautiful property in the most stunning location! Fantastic lodge which is so well equipped and styled. The views are amazing! "Anne and Ian and great hosts who are very responsive and accommodating. Would highly recommend a stay here and we also hope to come back one day."
Forbes
8 hours ago
- Business
- Forbes
Beyond Finance: How Technology Is Shaping The Future Of Retail Banking
Barney is a seasoned Data Executive at UniCredit with expertise in financial services, digital banking, AI and data modernization platforms. In today's economy, success isn't defined by asset ownership—it's shaped by connectivity, convenience and experience. Uber owns no vehicles, yet serves 161 million customers worldwide. Airbnb operates no hotels, yet has 275 million users as part of its travel platform. What sets these companies apart is their ability to seamlessly bridge the gap between supply and demand, delivering unparalleled value compared to their traditional counterparts. But their impact goes beyond competition; these platforms generate economic activity that wouldn't exist otherwise. In 2023, Airbnb contributed $85 billion to consumer spending and supported over 1 million new jobs. By reinventing how consumers and suppliers interact, digital marketplaces continue to drive industry transformation, economic growth and consumer empowerment. This same shift is reshaping financial services. Enabled by cloud computing, APIs and AI, a new wave of fintechs and platform banks is challenging legacy institutions—not with lower fees alone, but with faster innovation cycles, composable architectures and embedded distribution models. Despite fintech's decade-long presence, financial services remain resilient due to strict regulations and risk aversion, evolving gradually rather than undergoing rapid disruption. In 2023, nearly 5.5 million new businesses launched in the U.S.—a significant majority being tech-driven. By contrast, fewer than 10 new banks are chartered annually. It's not a matter of capital. The cost of launching a tech startup and a new bank can be similar, with a bank often starting around $5 million and tech startups ranging well beyond that figure. The real difference lies in trust and regulation. While tech companies scale rapidly through user acquisition and agile iteration, banks face high regulatory barriers and must earn consumer trust before they can handle deposits—essential for lending. That said, the definition of trust is shifting. Deposit insurance now provides a baseline, and digital-first banks are increasingly competing based on service offerings, quality and efficiency. For over a century, global systemically important banks (G-SIBs) have been pillars of economic stability, built on trust, regulation and risk management. However, over the past few decades, retail banking has undergone significant changes. Neo-banks, with their digital-first models and low overhead, offer improved rates and seamless experiences, challenging legacy institutions that are burdened by aging infrastructure and high costs. To stay relevant, more traditional banks are realizing the need to modernize, going beyond essential duties and embracing digital innovation to compete in an era of financial disruption. Today's banking customers expect more than static products. They want experiences that are predictive, personalized and seamlessly integrated into their lives. In lending, expectations are evolving just as quickly. Rather than one-off credit issuance, consumers increasingly value solutions that reward long-term financial behavior. This creates opportunities for banks to deploy adaptive credit models that assess real-time cash flow, offer flexible limits and respond proactively to changes in financial health. Loyalty programs—built through airline partnerships, premium tiers and behavioral incentives—can further deepen trust and retention. To stay competitive in this way, there's a push to move beyond transactional models and embrace seamless integration, hyper-personalization and AI-driven financial journeys that adapt to the user—rather than the other way around. As a result of these rising expectations, modern banks are no longer just financial service providers. Many have expanded into value-added ecosystems, offering vendor marketplaces, travel perks and premium product bundles. Through embedded finance, banks are weaving themselves into adjacent sectors—retail, utilities, healthcare—delivering financial solutions at the point of need, often invisibly. This shift marks a broader evolution: banking is moving from transactional utility to experience orchestration. For SMEs, while access to financial infrastructure has improved, they now face challenges in areas like customer retention, inventory optimization, employee management and cash flow forecasting. These pain points—once considered outside the scope of banking—are now opportunities for platform banks to add value through partnerships, APIs and intelligent tools. Financial institutions can play a critical role in their long-term success by working to redefine engagement beyond transactions—something I'll address in more detail shortly. To stay relevant, both legacy institutions and fintechs must reimagine their value proposition—not as isolated service providers, but as enablers of broader outcomes. Banks have established strong ties with SMEs, largely through the support of dedicated portfolio managers. While financial services remain core offerings, there's value in understanding the broader business challenges SMEs face. While everyday needs like campaign execution to recruitment, training and inventory management may fall outside traditional banking, they're integral to the client's ecosystem. By taking a more holistic interest, financial institutions can deepen relationships and position themselves as strategic partners. Forming partnerships that transcend traditional financial offerings can further help users manage everything from SME operations and workforce planning to personal learning and life goals. While legacy institutions may grapple with this complexity due to rigid infrastructures, adopting modular platforms with flexible interface layers can further help banks connect with outside partners, integrate new tools and offer AI-powered services without overhauling everything at once. To foster meaningful transformation, banks should consider adopting new operating models that foster speed, autonomy and innovation. One approach is to establish independent, cross-functional teams that operate outside traditional constraints—such as risk, finance, compliance and legal—while still aligning with enterprise standards. These agile units act as internal startups, championing the development of forward-facing platforms and services. Another involves establishing a neo-bank as a sub-entity under the existing umbrella, enabling experimentation and iterative progress within a safe regulatory and operational framework. Others may opt to acquire a nimble neo-bank with advanced technology infrastructure that complements or replaces their legacy systems, unlocking new market opportunities and product lines. By embracing these models, institutions can remain competitive and redefine engagement in a rapidly evolving financial landscape without disrupting their foundational stability. In Conclusion As AI, open banking and data monetization evolve, more banks are shifting their revenue models by monetizing insights and AI-driven solutions instead of relying on transaction fees. A successful retail banking strategy now relies on three key pillars: a strong spending ecosystem, superior customer service and core banking services. While new entrants may not yet match legacy banks in size, their rapid growth demands swift adaptation to keep up with the pace of innovation. Forbes Technology Council is an invitation-only community for world-class CIOs, CTOs and technology executives. Do I qualify?
The Age
8 hours ago
- The Age
The coastal towns with the most homes listed on Airbnb
Some of Australia's most sought-after coastal towns have double the proportion of Airbnb listings as the rest of the country, and one beach hotspot has 10 times as many, new research has found. In the Byron shire, 17.7 per cent of all homes were listed on the Airbnb platform in December 2024, based on InsideAirbnb data analysed in a report by the University of Sydney for the Australian Coastal Councils Association and released on Thursday. This compares to about 1.6 per cent of housing stock nationally that is listed on Airbnb, found the report, titled Short term rentals in Australia's coastal regions: Recent impacts and policy responses, which analysed the letting market in popular coastal communities. It was followed by Busselton, south of Perth (8.8 per cent), and the Bass Coast in Victoria (7.8 per cent). Even the regions with the lowest prevalence of Airbnb listings – the Sunshine Coast at 3.2 per cent and East Gippsland in Victoria – had double the national average. Lead author of the report Nicole Gurran said a significant proportion of the housing stock in these areas was being used for short-term letting. But she said it was not possible to conclude there was a jump in the number of holiday homes as the data on holiday homes available was inadequate even before the platforms began, and there have always been secondary homes in beach towns. 'It also shows you need to think more carefully about how you use your existing housing stock if you've got a growing population, because it's not able to cater to that,' she said.
