Seeking something new, Airbnb CEO promises ‘perfect concierge’

The electronic screen at the Nasdaq MarketSite displays an advertisement for Airbnb, Thursday, Dec. 10, 2020, in New York. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan)

Los Angeles, United States — “Novelty is cool. It’s exciting. I want to be new (and) fresh,” Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky told AFP in Los Angeles, where he is presenting a new offering that could bring haircuts and other services into your holiday home.

Alongside accommodation bookings -- which are “no longer new,” he notes -- users will now be able to find beauty and wellness professionals as well as caterers ready to come to their vacation rental or even to their own home.

It marks the most ambitious diversification of Airbnb’s business since its birth in 2008 in San Francisco.

“I do want to stay relevant. I do want the company to grow and change. But the world doesn’t care about that. That’s our problem,” said Chesky in a Tuesday interview. “The problem for customers is it’s really hard to get these services.”

He explained that initially the idea seemed merely interesting but gradually became “essential,” with the realization that customers could transform from annual Airbnb users to weekly ones.

With the rollout, hairdressers, massage therapists, and photographers selected by the platform are becoming available in 260 cities worldwide. The offering will then expand to other locations and services.

Childcare represents “the ultimate goal.” Offering babysitters on the application would mean users truly “trust” the company, he said.

“I don’t think Airbnb has earned that level of trust yet, but I think that’s a really good North Star.”

‘Perfect concierge’

Surprisingly, while generative artificial intelligence is dominating all investments and new products in Silicon Valley, Chesky barely mentioned the technology behind ChatGPT in a keynote speech announcing the company’s future plans.

“We have an AI customer service agent. We believe it’s the best AI customer service agent in all travel,” the executive told AFP.

Trained on “hundreds of millions or even billions” of data points related to customer stays, it’s initially being deployed to American users before expanding to other countries and languages in the coming months.

Industry expectations suggest Airbnb will focus on AI assistants capable of composing entire customized trips and making reservations -- similar to startups like Mindtrip.

It’s a highly coveted sector where Expedia, Booking, and Google have spent years trying to establish themselves as central platforms for travelers.

“In the coming years, we imagine ultimately becoming the perfect concierge for traveling and living,” Chesky said.

Travel and politics

Meanwhile, Airbnb faces less technological and more political challenges. The California company had to distance itself from co-founder Joe Gebbia, who joined billionaire Elon Musk’s DOGE team -- tasked by U.S. President Donald Trump with identifying federal spending they consider unnecessary.

Some hosts have announced they’re leaving Airbnb in reaction, as the ad hoc agency’s methods are widely considered brutal and counterproductive by the American left.

“We haven’t seen any impact,” Chesky maintained.

“Airbnb is an idea that is just so much bigger than any one person,” he added, noting that Gebbia has not been involved in daily Airbnb operations for two years.

The CEO remains diplomatic regarding Trump’s economic policies, which have caused market turmoil and created uncertainty across sectors.

Airbnb has observed a decrease in foreign tourists visiting the United States, but “we’re a really adaptable business,” he assured. “If people choose to travel within their own country, they might do it in Airbnbs.”

“That being said, I think a world where borders are open and people travel freely is certainly best for the travel industry, and probably best economically and culturally for bringing communities together.”

By Julie Jammot, AFP