15 Startups Supporting the Short-Term Rental Host

Numerous startups have emerged to help inspired or busy hosts on short-term rental platforms such as Airbnb, VRBO, HomeAway and others. These new proliferating hospitality services vary from full rental management to simple key exchange, and anything in between. Here is a quick rundown.

City-to-City Ridesharing Platform ‘carpooling’ Launches in the U.S., Partners with Uber

The largest European mid- and long-distance ridesharing company, carpooling, announced today its official nationwide launch in the United States. Simultaneously, it announced a partnership with Uber through which the two companies are joining efforts to provide a seamless ridesharing experience between and within cities.

How Cities Feel About the Travel Sharing Economy in 2014

Over the course of 2014, the term “sharing economy” became a household name. Rarely a day passes without Airbnb, Uber, Lyft or another peer-to-peer (P2P) travel startup making the news. As the trend continues to bring both new opportunities and new challenges, cities often find themselves in a love-hate relationship with the new economy. The National League of Cities (NLC) recently released a report capturing U.S. cities’ sentiment toward the travel sharing economy.

First-Ever Airbnb International Convention Opens Today

Today is the first day of the Airbnb Open, the inaugural international conference for Airbnb hosts. It takes place in San Francisco and opens its doors to 1,500 attendees from 40 countries. Here are some highlights from the program designed to educate, support, inspire and celebrate the host community over the next three days:

Travel Execs Feel the Heat as Peer-to-Peer Takes Hold (repost)

Earlier this week, the World Travel Market released a study highlighting some of the impacts of the peer-to-peer economy on the travel industry. Nearly 20% of WTM’s exhibitors and buyers say their business is being affected by the trend. Below is an article by Vicky Karantzavelou from the Daily Travel News revealing more details.

More Sharing in Ridesharing: Uber and Lyft Let Riders Split Rides Along Shared Routes

Both Uber and Lyft announced the launch of a new app option allowing riders with the same destination to split a ride and its cost. Lyft’s new tool, Lift Line, is already up and running, while Uber’s, UberPool, will be available August 15. They are both rolling out in San Francisco with other cities to follow. 

How the Sharing Economy Is Reinventing Business Travel

Up until recently, business travel was considered to be the realm of traditional travel companies. Sharing economy startups, seemingly catering to the leisure side of the market, were not privy to this targeted but lucrative segment. The status quo is bound to change, however, as business travelers vote with their feet and shift their travel patterns.

Repost: Changing of the Guard as Airbnb, TripAdvisor and HomeAway Join Travel Tech Trade Group

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Comment by TRAVLPEER

If travel sharing economy companies, such as Airbnb, HomeAway, Lyft, Uber(X), RelayRides, Vayable,  etc. continue to grow, they might form their own industry group to support research and lobbying efforts one day. At this point however, it probably makes more sense for some of them to join  forces with existing industry groups that have generally similar interests. Below is an article by Dennis Schaal from Skift discussing the latest move by HomeAway, Airbnb and TripAdvisor (owner of FlipKey) to join the Travel Technology Association.

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Changing of the Guard as Airbnb, TripAdvisor and HomeAway Join Travel Tech Trade Group

Airbnb’s Rebranding Unlocks Unexpected Humor, Opportunities

A few days ago, Airbnb unveiled a massive redesign. Its website, its app and its logo. The new design is meant to expand the brand’s presence offline and unlock opportunities for growth. As with any rebranding, it was expected to make a splash. And, so it did.  A splash that was probably bigger than predicted as it unlocked unexpected public imagination.

BlaBlaCar Prepares for a Global Journey with $100 Million in New Funding

The long-distance ridesharing startup BlaBlaCar announced today that it raised $100 million during its latest funding round. Launched in France, it operates in 12 countries in Europe and has offices in major cities, such as London, Paris, Madrid, Milan, Moscow and Warsaw. It now plans to expand globally.

Uber – the Sky’s the Limit

The news about Uber’s successful financing round and its skyrocketing  $17 Billion valuation exploded in the media a few days ago. The company made the announcement on its blog only four years after launching its operations in San Francisco. With this financial boost, it seems that the sky’s the limit for Uber. Literally.

What’s Next for the Travel Sharing Economy?

The sharing economy is here to stay. It is getting bigger, more powerful and more responsible as it moves from its infancy to its adolescence stage. These were the observations of Lisa Ganski, author of The Mesh and a sharing economy visionary who spoke at the opening of the inaugural SHARE conference held recently by Peers in San Francisco.

So, what lies ahead as the trend unfolds in the world of travel?

New York Attorney General and Airbnb Finally in Agreement

The legal battle that had the close attention of the sharing economy world and the hotel industry over the last six months has finally  come to an end. Airbnb and New York Attorney General, Eric Schneiderman, have reached an agreement by which the short-term rental company will turn in data to the AG’s office but will strip it from certain details in order to protect user privacy.

Coca Cola’s Jonathan Mildenhall to Become Airbnb’s New Chief Marketing Officer

Airbnb announced that it is hiring Jonathan Mildenhall from Coca Cola as its new Chief Marketing Officer (CMO). At Cocal Cola, Mildenhall served as SVP of Integrated Marketing Communication and Design Excellence.  Starting June 1, he will report directly to CEO Brian Chesky.

Airbnb to Hotel Industry: We Can and Should Work Together

The American Hotel and Lodging Association (AH&LA) announced earlier this week the launch of a nationwide plan to fight back the advancement of short-term rental companies like Airbnb. In its response, the accommodation startup avoids confrontation with the established industry and steers towards combining efforts to promote travel and tourism.