CEO Brian Chesky shared that Airbnb is experiencing a striking increase in its experiences segment, with bookings in Paris multiplying by six year over year. This surge is attributed to a new emphasis on attracting local Parisians as much as traditional travelers.
Local Targeting Pays Off
Historically, most companies in the online experiences sector have prioritized incoming tourists to renowned destinations, yet have found it challenging to create ongoing engagement among residents. After more than a decade of trying to perfect its experiences platform, Airbnb has chosen a new direction.
With the Airbnb Experiences relaunch in 2025, Chesky revealed that past tactics failed to significantly penetrate the mainstream, prompting a full reassessment. Speaking at the recent Skift Global Forum, he described how the company’s revised strategy is to refine its approach in one market—Paris—before rolling it out more broadly.
Engaging Residents Spurs Growth
Key to this new approach is offering in-demand local activities, like Eiffel Tower tours, which previously didn’t feature in Airbnb’s listings as the company avoided mainstream offerings. Now, however, the largest increase in bookings is from people living in Paris themselves, a trend Chesky said had not been anticipated.
Chesky remarked, “Locals in Paris are booking experiences in Paris, something we never thought would happen.” He outlined the plan to extend this locally focused method to New York and other metropolises. Although the trend isn’t worldwide yet, Chesky projected that up to 1,000 cities may soon witness similar patterns.
Moving Beyond Paris
This shift—success among city residents—signals a significant break from industry norms, where established operators like Viator, GetYourGuide, and Klook have largely depended on bookings by non-resident visitors. Persuading hometown dwellers to join local excursions remains elusive for most competitors.
Building on the refined Paris pilot, Airbnb aims to implement its insights in New York and other urban centers, with Chesky confident about fast adaptation. He commented, “I think we’re not even close to that happening in 1,000 cities but I think that will happen soon.”
Outlook for Airbnb Experiences
Although the Experiences relaunch in 2025 marks only the early phase of Airbnb’s renewed strategy, the impressive growth in local participation has bolstered executive belief in the approach’s scalability. This direction is distinct among experience marketplaces, which mainly serve tourists, and could set a new standard for engaging local customers.
Market watchers will closely monitor Airbnb’s evolving Experiences lineup, especially as the company explores how to duplicate the Paris model in fresh urban environments over the coming months and years.