Skift Take
25 Moments that Mattered in 2015: To make our selection of 25 moments, we thought back to the stories that drove reader engagement and sparked discussion among both travel experts and the general public. Some stories were quick blips that represented bigger things while others were narratives that built slowly through out the year. Each one, though, spoke to where we are right now when it comes to the big business of global travel.
Airbnb won its battle against a San Francisco ballot measure in November 2015 that sought to put teeth into current rules for short-term rentals in its own hometown.
But rather than silence critics, the ballot battle raised issues in other cities about how they can regulate and/or tax the service.
During the fight, Airbnb settled on its lobbying message for the next cycle of conflicts: Airbnb is about helping people afford their homes during tough economic times. This certainly plays better than focusing on its nearly $30 billion valuation and support by some of the richest venture capitalists on the planet. Whether this can withstand the pressures of data disclosures that result in tougher restrictions is likely a race against time.
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Tags: 25 moments 2015, airbnb
Photo credit: An anti-Airbnb ad from its San Francisco ballot measure.