Airbnb’s CEO says creators are its next big thing–and that creators need it because “the economics are starting to go down” on YouTube and TikTok

Airbnb wants in on the creator craze.

The company is most recognized for offering hotel alternatives, but back in 2016, it pushed further into overal travel planning with an expansion it called “Trips.” As part of Trips, it introduced Experiences–a selection of activities curated (and often hosted) by locals.

In the decade since that launch, Experiences has also expanded. Much like Airbnb’s bread and butter, where the idea was that locals would rent out all or part of their homes to tourists for a cozier vibe, Experiences is now more of an industry. While thousands of independent locals still offer outings to tourists, Airbnb has increasingly tapped celebs like Conan O’Brien and Sabrina Carpenter to host splashy events.

Now, the company’s CEO says they intend to bring creators into Experiences, too.

Airbnb has been experimenting with creator-led experiences and plans to add them to the platform after tests showed strong conversion, PhocusWire reports. CEO Brian Chesky apparently described creator experiences as being a huge opportunity, “especially as travel becomes more personalized and driven by communities.”

He praised creators for their smart marketing, their ability to create great listings, and their pull with established audiences.

“The other thing we’ve seen with creators is they get a lot of local demand,” he added. “Most experiences get travelers, but if you’re a fan of something, you’re going to book in your own city, so creators are also a gateway to local demand for experiences.”

He also noted that Airbnb sees itself as a way for creators to ramp up their earnings, claiming that “[t]he posting is waning a little bit” and “the economics are starting to go down” across platforms like YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram.

“Also, there’s a maximum, you can only post so much before it feels very commercial and solicitous. So, there’s got to be other ways to make money,” he said.

We’re not sure where the assertion about economics going down is coming from, but we do agree that creators should always be keen to diversify their revenue streams.

Chesky claimed interest from creators has been “really hot,” especially from creators who want to foster more IRL fan connections. “The other thing we’ve heard from creators even more is they want to meet the people following them,” he said. “That being a creator, sometimes you want to know who’s liking your content, who’s commenting. And a lot of these people want to step inside your world.”

Airbnb hasn’t released any data about its tests, nor said which creators it’s working with. We know there’s a real appetite for IRL events, but we’re not certain Airbnb quite gets our world yet. Guess we’ll see–it plans to add listings for creator Experiences in the coming months.