Airbnb, Google and Agoda Hint at Upcoming Search and Fintech Features
Skift Take
Dennis' Online Travel Briefing
Editor’s Note: Every Wednesday, Executive Editor and online travel rockstar Dennis Schaal will bring readers exclusive reporting and insight into the business of online travel and digital booking, and how this sector has an impact across the travel industry.Top executives at Airbnb, Google Travel, and Agoda separately provided hints in the last few days about upcoming features on their companies' wish lists.
They revolved around search and "fintech."
Airbnb Could Add More Host Information
Airbnb Chairman and CEO Brian Chesky said at Skift Global Forum last week that enabling guests to find out additional information about the host, whether that person is a musician or has other appealing traits, could be of great interest.
"There’s a group of people that don’t care a ton who the host is, and where the host is maybe a property management company, and who they are it doesn’t matter as much," Chesky said. "But there’s probably a much larger group of people that want to stay in a real house. They care who the person is."
Airbnb recently expanded the categories guests can use to search for properties, including everything from lakefront homes to A-frames and abodes in surfing areas so adding a different way to
