Key Points
- Tripadvisor will make a selection of its Viator and Tripadvisor experiences bookable on Airbnb later this year, adding to Tripadvisor’s existing distribution deals with Booking.com and Expedia.
- The partnership marks a strategic shift for Airbnb, which had previously tried to build its experiences business organically with bespoke, locally-hosted offerings rather than through major partnerships or acquisitions.
- Airbnb’s 2025 relaunch scaled to roughly 3,000 landmark experiences across about 100 cities but has since narrowed focus to perfecting the product in Paris, and it remains unclear whether consumers broadly associate Airbnb with experiences.
Summary
Tripadvisor announced that a selection of tours, activities, and attractions from its Viator and Tripadvisor experiences brands will become bookable on Airbnb later this year, marking a significant potential distribution win for the struggling Tripadvisor, which already has similar deals with Booking.com and Expedia. For Airbnb, the partnership represents a strategic departure: the company had previously sought to scale its decade-old experiences business organically, without major partnerships or acquisitions, emphasizing bespoke, locally-hosted offerings that fit the Airbnb brand. Airbnb’s May 2025 relaunch expanded into some 3,000 landmark experiences across roughly 100 cities—done “the Airbnb way” with local guides—but the company has since narrowed its focus to perfecting the product in a single city, Paris. The Tripadvisor deal signals that Airbnb recognizes it must go more mainstream to achieve scale, even as questions remain about whether consumers broadly associate Airbnb with experiences beyond home rentals. The move mirrors Booking.com’s earlier pivot toward experiences partnerships (with TUI’s Musement and Tripadvisor/Viator) and its acquisition of Fareharbor.