Amazon as a role model: Airbnb wants to significantly expand its offering

"I'm booking a workout with a personal trainer through Airbnb , followed by a massage." – If Airbnb CEO and co-founder Brian Chesky had his way, phrases like this could soon become part of his customers' standard vocabulary. So far, the booking platform has been primarily known for vacation homes, apartments, and rooms in private accommodations. That's set to change this summer, as Airbnb is significantly expanding its offerings.

Customers can now book all sorts of things on the platform: travel experiences such as a tour of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris or a cooking lesson with a ramen expert in Tokyo, both of which fall under the "Discoveries" category. Services that aren't necessarily related to travel are also represented on the platform, such as Michelin-starred chefs, hairdressers, massage therapists, personal trainers, and makeup artists. Initially, there will be ten categories in 260 cities. The offerings are to be expanded in the coming months.

Airbnb founder Nathan Blecharczyk talks about special customers from Germany, about the virtual ban on his company in New York and the question of whether everyone is now vacationing in the north instead of the south because of climate change.

Platforms offering experiences and tours have long existed; in Germany, these include Get Your Guide, Tui Musement, and Jochen Schweizer. Many hairdressers and beauticians can also be booked online. Chesky is nevertheless convinced that his concept fills a niche in the market, as he aims to offer as many different services as possible. "There is no Amazon for services yet," he told the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung. He would love to take on this role, albeit "with higher profit margins." Anyone who finds customers through Airbnb has to give up a significant portion of their earnings: Airbnb claims to charge a 20 percent fee for bookings in the "Discoveries" category, and 15 percent for services, with a minimum fee of six US dollars. With these services in particular, Airbnb is facing even fiercer competition from hotels, which typically offer their guests a variety of other services beyond just an overnight stay.

Brian Chesky founded the booking platform Airbnb in 2008 together with Joe Gebbia and Nathan Blecharczyk. The original idea was for private individuals to rent out a guest room in their apartment, or even their entire home, to strangers when they weren't using it themselves. The platform now houses numerous commercial vacation rentals. Airbnb has long been criticized for driving up rents in cities and contributing to the housing shortage and overtourism – allegations the company denies. Airbnb faces strict regulations in many popular cities.

At the end of 2020, the company achieved what was then the most successful IPO of the year, with its stock rising by more than 100 percent at launch. Airbnb also hopes to boost its share price through its reorientation. The company is currently valued at just under $85 billion. By comparison, the US company Booking Holdings, which owns the booking portal Booking.com , where guests can primarily book hotel rooms, is valued at just under $170 billion.