4 ms·

I always assumed "experiences" was a hedge against being made illegal by various jurisdictions.

• Mediterraneo10 7y ago
  I always thought it was a way to derive profit from not only people's accommodation, but also whatever else they want to spend their time doing on their holidays.
  • saddestcatever 7y ago
    That was my thought. Same as ads. If the currency is the attention of users, why not double-dip profits! It's the same reason when I book a plane flight, someone's always trying to sell me the rental car while I'm there
  • rtkwe 7y ago
    It's both but there's no doubt they were feeling squeezed in numerous locales for having people skirting or outright violating regulations on hotels and vacation properties.
• exclusiv 7y ago
  Probably part of it, but I'm pretty sure they did it because they essentially saturated the current market and in order to grow (and/or pump up their valuation) they had to reach outside their core.
• blululu 7y ago
  Partly that, but it’s also a way to differentiate a largely generic product that mostly acts as a middleman. There are already a few Airbnb clones, and there are really not very high barriers to switch platforms. In the long term Airbnb needs to add value beyond the basic marketplace.