Expedia and Airbnb Bosses Have Conflicting Visions About the Future of Travel

The heads of two of the largest U.S.-based online travel companies, Brian Chesky of Airbnb and Peter Kern of Expedia Group, have gazed into their crystal balls and conjured clashing visions about the future of travel. Kern argued last week during an earnings call that “travel is like water, it finds its way.” If travelers can’t fly internationally, they’ll drive domestically, and choose short-term rentals if they consider hotels unappealing, Kern said, adding that Expedia hasn’t found anything to indicate “there’s a long-term behavioral change” that would grow out of Covid-19. Kern recalled that after 9/11, pundits predicted that travel would change “forever” and New Yorkers would abandon New York City in droves, but that didn’t happen. “I am not one to believe that anything about what we're going through will be permanent,” Kern said.

Join Us For Our Skift Global Forum Online Conference September 21-23

Booking Holdings and Tripadvisor executives have made similar statements about travel eventually settling down, and coming to resemble its former self. Airbnb’s Chesky, conversely, has contended that travel will never, ever go back to the way it was pre-Covid.” Chesky has