Airbnb CSO on Hotels, AI, Nature Travel and What's Next

Airbnb co-founder and CSO Nathan Blecharczyk said at ITB Berlin that the company is actively pursuing its hotels vertical, starting with cities like New York and San Francisco, adding hotel-specific features like room type selection. He discussed AI's use in customer support and future personal travel agents, and confirmed a partnership with the German Tourism Association to launch a $1 million fund promoting non-urban travel. Blecharczyk noted that 60% of Airbnb's business in Europe is outside cities.