This week, we’re revisiting a conversation with Airbnb co-founder Nathan Blecharczyk from 2023, who spoke with The Peak about what’s next for the business and the future of travel.
How has Airbnb gone about adapting the platform to what consumers want?
We see a lot of trends on our platform and we see what sticks. During the pandemic, we saw a lot of vacancies, so we added flexible dates and created categories that enabled search without specifying a destination. So you can find a home in a national park, or a vineyard.
What was the response to those changes?
It’s been great. We have more than 6 million homes all around the globe. Most people wouldn't have known where to look to find these places.
How many Airbnb customers are looking for a deal versus a luxury villa?
Airbnb started from a place of being kind of a budget alternative — renting out that extra bedroom in your apartment. I do think now is the time when you're going to see a resurgence in this category as people think twice about their budget.
Where in the world do you see the most growth opportunity?
The middle class around the world continues to grow, and one of the first things people want to do when they have discretionary income is to travel. So emerging economies across Southeast Asia, India, and China are very exciting for us.
And in the next five to 10 years?
Travel is one of the largest industries on the planet, and I think we're still just tapping into that.
This interview has been edited for clarity and length. Listen to the full conversation here.