The Novelty Of Airbnb Could Be Wearing Off

There may be good news on the horizon for hotel chains losing business to home-sharing behemoth Airbnb.

The San Francisco-based tech company has caused significant disruptions to the hotel industry over the years, but recent studies show the company has experienced a slowdown in user growth.

A Morgan Stanley survey found that an estimated 25% of all travelers used Airbnb last year. Though this was up from 22% in 2015 and 14% in 2014, the rate at which users are flocking to Airbnb has cooled, as evidenced by the 3% increase in users last year compared to the 8% jump in 2015, Barron's Next reports.

The slowdown has to do in part with familiarity and the company having tapped most of its users, Morgan Stanley analysts said. Airbnb is now relatively commonplace throughout the U.S. and EU, with 80% of consumers aware of service. This means the novelty has likely worn off for the majority of the population.

In addition, safety and privacy issues remain lingering concerns among travelers, giving hotels, which often boast security and concierge services, an upper hand.

The survey also found that Airbnb has little to no effect on the popularity of online travel agencies such as Expedia and Priceline, both of which experienced an increase in traffic last year. Expedia in particular, has experienced success with its own home-sharing platform, HomeAway.

Continue reading this story with a free account

Log in or register
Sign up for more articles like this
Subscribe to Bisnow's National Newsletters
Related Stories

Bisnow's 2026 DEI Data Series

America's Data Centers Are Running Out Of People Who Know How To Run Them

Why Data Centers Crave Simplicity As Operations Grow More Complex

Blackstone Looks To Secondary Market To Cash Out Investors In $11B Fund

CalSTRS Plans $5B In New CRE Investments

Ares, Canadian Pension Investor Launch $2.4B U.S. Logistics JV

Troubled Multifamily Loans Face A Refinancing Problem: Who Puts In New Equity?

Toys R Us Plans 120 New Stores Ahead Of The Holidays

Data Center Leaders Aren't Sweating Calls For An AI Slowdown

REPORT: Amazon Eyes Next Industrial Push With Plans To Expand Same-Day Deliveries

First Rate Hike Since 2023 Lands Atop 5% Treasury Yield, Ratcheting Up Capital Pressure

Stockdale Hires Fortress Exec To Launch Debt Business