Who could have predicted it? Renting a vehicle on Airbnb. Well, starting in 2024, this will be possible. Indeed, the giant of short-term accommodation rentals is preparing to broaden its horizons with significant changes. Here’s a closer look at this strategic expansion aligned with the evolving needs of travelers…
Towards a More Complete Travel Experience
As mentioned in the introduction, Airbnb plans to expand its offering by entering the car rental market. This initiative aims to facilitate trip planning for their travelers. It’s a smoother booking experience that fits into Airbnb’s broader strategy. The goal is clear: to enhance its value proposition and stand out in the travel industry. This strategic choice is far from random and has been in the works for some time, as highlighted by Brian Chesky, Airbnb’s CEO, in an interview with the Financial Times.
The second most important asset in a person’s life after their home is their car. Years ago, we thought, as we make homes, let’s make cars.
Brian Chesky, CEO at AIRBNB
A perfect illustration of the emergence of MaaF
An acronym for Mobility as a Feature, MaaF is gaining popularity. This concept, considered the evolution of MaaS (Mobility as a Service), involves perceiving mobility beyond a simple multimodal offer, but as part of a range of different services. We wrote an article on this topic a few months ago, detailing this new opportunity.
This bold pivot, which Airbnb has identified as having strong potential, is likely to spark debates among industry experts and stakeholders. This expansion could impact traditional car rental companies, similar to how property owners have been affected by fiscal leverage in some countries.
However, it’s important to highlight this promising risk taken by Airbnb, which has not yet announced any partners. It remains to be seen whether they will prefer to directly integrate each car rental company or use a multimodal aggregator to gain speed.
