Airbnb Is Recruiting Creators to Build Out Its Experiences Business

Airbnb is signing up hundreds of social-media content creators to host paid experiences on its platform, CEO Brian Chesky told Skift during a media roundtable at the company’s annual summer release event in San Francisco this week.

The creator strategy addresses a structural challenge Airbnb has faced since launching its experiences category: bookings have come from tourists rather than locals, which limits growth. Fans of specific YouTube, Instagram, or TikTok creators tend to book in their own city, Chesky said.

“Most experiences get travelers, but if you’re a fan of someone, you’re going to book in your own city. So creators are also a gateway to local demand for experiences,” he said.

In Paris, 40% of bookings on the pre