From Baby-Goat Yoga to the New Super-App

Firstly, this article has nothing to do with AI. Except, the only Super-Apps in the future will be Google (Gemini) and ChatGPT. But let me put that aside. Just for this one article.

Secondly, I’m annoyed by the continual bashing of the Hop-On Hop-Off sightseeing experience. Everybody knows the best way to see a city for the first time is from the top of an open-top double-decker bus. And the best way to explore a bit deeper is through one of those ‘authentic’ experiences that Chesky talks about. Of course, he knows this. But he has a product to sell. So I’ll back off and move on. Without any anger at all.

If there were going to be a third Super-App (in the West), Airbnb might be a decent contender. This is their boldest actual move since “homes.” The new features take the platform beyond accommodation – and even beyond travel – with the introduction of Airbnb Services, a Completely Reimagined Airbnb Experiences, and an All-New App to unify them. With these three moves, they’re betting on becoming an end-to-end travel and local lifestyle super-app, with early signs of a social network thrown in for good measure. The connecting thread is the pursuit of fostering authentic, real-world human connection – something Chesky has been talking about since day one.

Airbnb Services isn’t necessarily about travel. Launching with ten categories – including private chefs, prepared meals, catering, photography, personal training, massages, spa treatments, hair styling, makeup, and nail care – Airbnb aims to bring hotel-like conveniences and personal luxuries directly to users. These services aren’t linked to an Airbnb stay. They can be booked by anyone, in their own city, directly through the app.

This potentially solves the biggest problem in travel: the infrequent purchase. It taps directly into Chesky’s notion of monetizing not just space, but people’s « time and skills, while aiming to deliver moments of personalized care and convenience – further deepening the user’s positive association with the brand ». I think it’s also a customer acquisition strategy. Every service provider will immediately become a loyal user of everything else on the app – or at least, that’s the plan.

Everyone in the industry knows that Experiences aren’t new to the platform. The product hasn’t done well up to this point. To the average user, though, it might feel like a new invention.

I’ve probably heard every version of “Airbnb obviously just needs to do [this] to succeed in the space” from most of the industry experts. With these updates, they seem to have pieced together most of those ideas:

• Availability and bookings via API is an obvious win. This opens the door for professional operators, rather than being limited to hosts and tour guides.
• Originals seems like a great fit for Airbnb. It resembles a cross between Zozi (who remembers them – 15 years ago?) and the TUI/Viator/GetYourGuide versions of Originals or VIP Experiences. The Airbnb brand is big enough that many tour guides and companies will jump at the chance to create something unique or exclusive if it means better placement (more volume). With Airbnb teams helping with the actual design, this could spark a wave of innovation in the space.
• Landmarks have always been missing from Airbnb’s plan. « Live like a local » is great, but visitors mostly want to see the Eiffel Tower, Golden Gate Bridge, and the Colosseum. Opening up to these products will generate an immediate jump in sales.
• In the same way landmarks create scale, involving established tour companies will do the same. These companies have access to major attractions, know how to market, and can deliver higher capacity. The ‘authentic’ experiences are great for branding and buzz, but this is where the real sales will come from. Airbnb will likely need to de-optimize the algorithm to keep these large-scale products from dominating every market.

On a side note: I’m not really sure how much is still under an NDA, but I did see an email recently from Magpie, who seemed to be suggesting that one of the easiest and fastest ways to get products onboarded onto Airbnb Experiences is via their new API. Something worth looking at if you have more than a handful of products to manage.

The updated app may not look that exciting at first glance. But one part worth highlighting is the “connections” feature. It sounds a bit like the « connected trip » concept – the same one the big OTAs talk about endlessly but never actually execute on. Because Airbnb controls the entire ecosystem (OK, with a few API-connected partners), there’s real potential to keep users far more connected than what’s currently possible with most OTAs.

But in Chesky’s mind, this extends beyond logistics – it’s about connecting guests to guests. I’m not a huge “tour” person, but I’ve done plenty and operated a few thousand. The idea of staying connected with fellow guests after a tour could be either doomed to fail and a bit silly, or one of those things we’ll look back on and wonder why nobody thought of it (at this scale) until 2025. Many tours naturally lead to new friendships – groups heading out to dinner or planning future activities together. Having an easy way to stay in touch (share photos, memories, recommendations etc.) might actually work. It’s a swing at the travel social network that Tripadvisor tried – and failed – to build.

Taken together, these releases paint a clear picture: Airbnb is aiming to be the platform for how we engage with both places and people. The « You can Airbnb more than an Airbnb » tagline sums it up. It’s a play for a larger share of travel spending – but also a move to embed Airbnb into everyday life.

Of course, expanding into services brings new risks. Customer service gets harder when you’re dealing with massage therapists and chefs instead of just hosts. Quality control will be tricky. When I searched for the launch video on YouTube today, the top result was someone explaining how to arbitrage the system – booking services and outsourcing them through their own provider network. Probably not what Airbnb had in mind.

Convincing people to think of Airbnb for a haircut or local catering job is a shift. Have other brands successfully made a leap like this? There’s also a risk of brand dilution if the new verticals flop or distract from focus on the core.

That said, there’s huge upside. Whether Services and Experiences become two of the billion-dollar businesses Chesky wants to launch each year remains to be seen. Personally, I’d bet on:

1. Experiences
2. Travel-based services
3. Local-based services

In that order. The social network part? I love the concept – but it might be a long shot.