“The popular platform is freezing the entry of new experiences into the Airbnb Experiences system. “As part of our focus on refining the core service, including Airbnb Experiences, we are discontinuing the submission of all new Experiences,” the San Francisco-based company announced in the past few days.
“We are excited about the future of Airbnb Experiences and expect to provide more information in the coming months,” the simple announcement said.
Airbnb said the cessation of new listings does not affect existing Experiences, which are activities run by local hosts and aim to offer people a “local travel experience”.
The pause comes a year after CEO Brian Chesky called Airbnb Experiences a “huge opportunity” and a “great area of investment in the coming years”.
Airbnb had previously put the product on hold due to the pandemic and relaunched it last year.
Why do Experiences “freeze”?
Airbnb’s announcement gives no real reasons for its decision.
Market people cite several possible reasons why the platform may have been driven to the freeze.
One of them is lack of connectivity with third-party systems. Airbnb requires Experiences hosts to use its own ecosystem to manage their reservations. This is not a problem for individual hosts. But for professionals already using a distribution channel, this is not an ideal situation. Perhaps Airbnb can use this “break” to incorporate some more plug-and-play distribution channels.
Still others note that Airbnb never really gave the Experiences piece its due. With competitors like Viator and GetYourGuide serving the demand for Experiences more competently, Airbnb still has a ways to go. Especially at a time when travel trends have high on their list of connecting with local culture and getting authentic experiences.
