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Airbnb Inc. is setting its sights beyond vacation rentals, with plans to evolve into what Chief Executive Brian Chesky described as the “Amazon for travel services,” to CNBC-TV18 in an interview. The company aims to bring independent hotels onto its platform and expand aggressively in India as part of its next phase of growth. The San Francisco-headquartered travel giant, known for transforming spare homes and holiday properties into a global accommodation network, is now positioning itself as a one-stop destination for travel. Chesky said Airbnb intends to capture a much larger share of the global travel services economy — a market he believes could one day rival retail in scale. Highlighting India’s potential, Chesky called the country a “big bet” for Airbnb and said it could soon become the company’s largest market. With rising disposable incomes and rapid digital adoption, India’s expanding middle class is driving a new wave of online travel bookings. To tap into this demand, Airbnb plans to onboard boutique and independent hotels, diversifying its offerings beyond homestays. While global travel has rebounded post-pandemic, Chesky admitted he remains unsatisfied with Airbnb’s current growth pace. He noted that the company’s “Experiences” vertical — which offers curated tours, workshops, and local activities — is outpacing its traditional home-rental business and will form a key pillar of its future strategy. Discussing technology trends, Chesky told CNBC TV18 that artificial intelligence will have a transformative impact on the travel industry, though its long-term potential remains underappreciated. He described current AI valuations as “frothy” but warned that tech firms ignoring AI “risk being left behind.” Reflecting on Silicon Valley’s evolution, Chesky remarked that the region has grown “more political, divided, and mature” over the past decade and a half, marking a new era for innovation and leadership in global tech.
