Chesky also made it a point to speak in support of globalization.
“One thing i'd like to say is that we have a president [Donald Trump] that thinks globalization is the reason America is losing jobs.” There is a much more powerful force that will destroy jobs according to Chesky. “Automation will take over so many jobs and I don’t see that happening only in America.”
Airbnb owes its existence and meteoric rise to globalization. The unique accommodations raging from houses, to tree houses to castles are 65,000 in number in 191 countries. And if you think about it, automation of jobs won’t affect their business model at all. Airbnb relies on an inventory light model. The inventory being the accommodation, and accommodation is essential to any human traveller, who will increasingly do so thanks to globalization.
The home accommodation listing startup started in 2008 and has grown phenomenally into a company worth 31 billion dollars. And investors are making a note of all this growth. It just recently closed a funding round for a billion dollars in a round as matured as series F. US industry analysts even call it an option to avoid going on the stock market. A reason for this could be to extend a grace period away from announcing profits and being obliged to provide dividends to shareholders.
The event to announce Delhi as a Trips destination featured a fashion show with Brian Chesky himself as the energetic if not slightly self-conscious showstopper of the night.
In an extension of what Chesky called Airbnb’s way to make travelling magical and easy, he also shared the experiences the first ever visitor Airbnb had. It was an Indian named Amol Surve visiting San Francisco for a design convention. “The one thing I took away from the Airbnb experience was friendship,” Amol said in a recorded message to the audience in attendance.
The Trips feature launched last year in November, promoting cultural experiences unique to each of the cities featured such as Havana in Cuba, Cape Town in South Africa and now Delhi in India.
There are 15 experiences already for Airbnb Delhi Trips, like a sari school, classical singing training and a visit to the couture custom workshop of contemporary designers
Shantanu and Nikhil based in Noida.
BW Reporters
Regina is a reporter for BW Businessworld. In her previous assignments, she has worked with Independent television Network as a news anchor and reporter in Sri Lanka
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