There was nothing like overtourism in the sense that there were plenty of under-visited destinations that could attract tourism. Around 40 per cent of the users who visit Airbnb do not initially have a destination or travel dates in mind so Airbnb would play a role in inspiring them to tour new destinations.
The CEO of Airbnb, Brian Chesky, recently talked about how the travel industry of the future would be. Speaking to Skift founder and CEO Rafat Ali at the opening event for Skift Global Forum 2021, Chesky said that with the new work from home regimes, people would most likely migrate to beyond city limits and other less-dense locales where residences would be less expensive.
Chesky agreed that some people would need to work in New York, San Francisco or any big city. However, he also pointed out that the Internet was the most important place to be rather than a physical place since it made it possible for remote work.
The Airbnb co-founder and CEO said travel would come back in a different state because of the changes that Covid has brought in — although it will return bigger than ever. In fact, Chesky said he saw a new golden age of travel.
There was nothing like overtourism in the sense that there were plenty of under-visited destinations that could attract tourism. Around 40 per cent of the users who visit Airbnb do not initially have a destination or travel dates in mind so Airbnb would play a role in inspiring them to tour new destinations.
Chesky also said mass tourism will return as people return to New York’s Times Square, Paris and Rome, but there will be new alternatives for travel. Work and living are blending, he said. For example, one-fifth of Airbnb’s stays are for 30 days or longer
CEO of Airbnb, Brian Chesky, said that throughout the pandemic the changing nature of work, and consumers’ tendency to book longer stays had altered the travel landscape, blurring the division between travel and living. Hotels had lost appeal and travelers would go more to off-the-beaten-path destinations in short-term rentals, where they can have more control over the environment out of cleanliness and safety concerns.
Chesky also said mass tourism will return as people return to New York’s Times Square, Paris and Rome, but there will be new alternatives for travel. Work and living are blending, he said. For example, one-fifth of Airbnb’s stays are for 30 days or longer. In this new environment, he said, if companies wanted to recruit top talent, they would look to take into account whether employees want to return to the office for four days a week or perhaps alternate between a few weeks in the office, and several weeks working remotely.
With remote workers being at home so much, they will have a deep desire to travel, Chesky said, adding that although mass tourism will return, there will be alternatives. Said Chesky: “I think it is less about landmarks and more about being with people.”
In the initial stages of the pandemic, Airbnb saw its business grounding to a near-halt. It had to lay off 25 per cent of its staff, reduce investment in several business lines, including hotels, but surged during a travel recovery as domestic travelers around the world were looking for alternatives to urban hotels.
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