Airbnb Experiences Pivots to Locals as Paris Growth Hits 6x

After several false starts since launching more than a decade ago, Airbnb relaunched its experiences business in 2025 with a sluggish start. CEO Brian Chesky said at Skift Global Forum that the company chose to focus on getting one city right — Paris — and that focus is paying off with growth of 6x year over year. Locals in Paris are now booking experiences in Paris, and Airbnb plans to take that playbook to New York and other cities. The company has also relaxed its long-held resistance to high-demand mainstream tours of landmarks like the Eiffel Tower.