Brian Chesky Details Airbnb Experiences Growth in Paris

After navigating several false starts since its initial launch over a decade ago, Airbnb's experiences business has finally found traction. Speaking at the Skift Global Forum 2026, CEO Brian Chesky shared insights on the company's relaunched experiences division from 2025, revealing a staggering sixfold year-over-year growth in Paris alone.

Major experiences platforms have traditionally targeted out-of-town travelers rather than residents. While Airbnb initially resisted high-demand mainstream tours like the Eiffel Tower, it has since relaxed those boundaries. However, the true breakthrough, according to Chesky, lies in convincing local residents to book experiences in their own city—a milestone few competitors thought possible.

"One of the reasons they're growing is we've now started to crack locals," Chesky said during the event. "Locals in Paris are booking experiences in Paris, something we never thought would happen, so now we're taking that playbook to New York and other cities. And I think we're not even close to that happening in 1,000 cities but I think that will happen soon."

Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event

"One of the reasons they're growing is we've now started to crack locals. Locals in Paris are booking experiences in Paris, something we never thought would happen, so now we're taking that playbook to New York and other cities."

Brian Chesky

Marketing to residents remains a notoriously difficult uphill battle in travel. Competitors like Viator and GetYourGuide spend minimal resources on locals because tourists book under stricter time constraints, pay higher prices, and cost less to acquire, whereas residents tend to postpone decisions and shop strictly on price. Accor famously attempted a similar local push with Accor Local—selling yoga classes and dry cleaning to Parisians—only to scrap the service after hotel general managers ignored it.