Airbnb CSO on hotels, AI, nature travel and what's next for the industry

Airbnb co-founder and chief strategy officer Nathan Blecharczyk said at ITB Berlin that Airbnb 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 use in customer support and future personal travel agents, and expressed confidence against disintermediation due to strong supply-side relationships. He also noted 60% of Airbnb's business in Europe is outside cities and announced a $1 million fund with the German Tourism Association to promote non-urban travel.