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Top Story

Airbnb Outpaces Rivals With Its Fastest Revenue Growth in 3 Years

A year after Brian Chesky said he was “not happy” with Airbnb’s growth, the company is growing faster than Expedia and Booking, with help from hotels, car rentals and lower customer support costs.

Who it impacts: Online travel executives, independent and boutique hotel owners, and short-term rental managers deciding where to distribute inventory in 2027.

What changed: Airbnb’s third-quarter revenue grew 19%, compared with 12% for Expedia and a 1% decline for Booking. Its hotel offering grew from 20 destinations in May to 60.

What to watch: Whether hotels and car rentals keep adding to growth, and whether the conditions in EMEA that Airbnb flagged slow it down after it raised its full-year guidance.

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Next Week in NYC:
Skift Commerce Summit + Skift Aviation Forum

Airbnb is pulling hotels and cars onto its own rails. Who owns distribution when AI agents enter the booking path is the fight, and the operators making that call are in the room at Skift Commerce Summit next Wednesday.

MCR Hotels, JetBlue, and Luxury Escapes take the stage. Skift Aviation Forum follows the next morning at the TWA Hotel at JFK, where the airline industry sets its agenda for the year.

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More Stories

Qatar’s Tourism Recovery is Coming by Road, Not Air

November 6, 2026

Qatar’s visitor numbers are recovering on road traffic across the Saudi border, while air arrivals keep falling. Drive-in visitors tend to make shorter trips, which limits how much they can do for hotels.

Airbnb CEO: Our Specialized AI Agents Will Handle ‘Every Vertical in Travel’

November 5, 2026

There's been speculation for years about whether Airbnb would launch flights. Such small-minded speculation: Airbnb intends to use specialized AI agents to do every travel vertical. Airbnb Cruise, anyone?

Airbnb-Backed Candidates Lose in LA, a Setback in Push to Loosen Rental Rules

November 5, 2026

Airbnb’s money may not have bought it a friendlier mayor in Los Angeles. Expect the company to look for other ways to add Olympic supply.

Bomb Hoaxes Test Europe’s Airlines as Geopolitical Pressures Mount

November 5, 2026

None of this week’s threats has proved real, but each one still cost a diversion, a search and a rebuilt schedule. Whoever sent them, the hoaxes have added to a list of disruptions, from conflict-driven fuel costs to closed airspace, that is making routine flying in Europe ever more challenging.

Tripadvisor Cuts Jobs, Outgoing CEO Says Experiences Overhaul Fell Short

November 5, 2026

The Tripadvisor-Viator experiences business has long had a "Tripadvisor" brand problem. The consolidation of their teams didn't work, and both experiences revenue and profits fell in the third quarter.

EU’s Sustainable Tourism Plan Aims to Spread Visitors Out — With No Funding or Targets

November 5, 2026

The EU Sustainable Tourism Strategy sits on top of existing tourism strategies released by the economic bloc’s Commission. But it still falls short of presenting measurable targets that would actually support its implementation.

Tripadvisor Announces CEO and CFO Exit 16 Months Into Starboard’s Activist Push

November 5, 2026

You can expect the board to supercharge a sales process or to pursue other strategic alternatives as Goldberg exits.

Fuel Hedges Kept Emirates Profitable as Earnings Fell Two-Thirds

November 5, 2026

Fuel hedges turned a likely loss into a profit for Emirates. The war’s full cost will show only once that cover runs out.

How Ireland Is Navigating Travel Shifts

SPONSORED · TOURISM IRELAND

At the Skift Transatlantic Summit, Tourism Ireland's Alice Mansergh shared how the destination is adapting to a more uncertain travel market.

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From Skift Research

Short-Term Rentals Are Becoming Airbnb’s Market

Airbnb’s share of short-term rental bookings has climbed from 26% in 2019 to an estimated 42% in 2026, passing direct and other channels for the first time. Booking.com is the only other platform gaining ground.

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Skift Podcast

Why OAG’s CEO Doesn’t Think Anyone Wins the Connected Trip

OAG CEO Filip Filipov on why travel’s fragmented data isn’t going away, why no one company has to own the connected trip, and why AI’s time savings should go toward growth instead of cost cuts.

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Skift Executive Search

People Moves

  • Christophe Fanichet has been appointed CEO of Eurostar, effective 1 December 2026, succeeding Gwendoline Cazenave, who has stepped down after four years. CFO Matthieu Quyollet will serve as interim CEO until he starts.

  • Stephen Ho has been named Group President, Asia Pacific at Hyatt, effective 1 January 2027, succeeding David Udell. Udell retires from the role on 31 December after leading the region since 2014 and stays on as Senior Advisor.

  • Frontier Airlines has announced leadership changes. Michael Delehant joins as EVP and Chief Operating Officer effective 30 November. James Fenner has been promoted to SVP and Chief Revenue Officer, and Bobby Schroeter moves into a new role as SVP and Chief Marketing Officer.

  • Mary Jean Tully has stepped down as CEO of Tully Luxury Travel after nearly 40 years and becomes Brand Ambassador. Steven Salm, who joined as COO in 2025, succeeds her.

  • Abdulla Ali takes up his role as Qatar Airways’ first Chief Operating Officer on 1 November.

  • Starwood Hotels has made two commercial leadership moves: Samira Naraghi has stepped into a new position as Vice President of Commercial, and Daniel Pasquali has joined as Vice President of Global Sales.

  • Dylan Kuhnen has joined the Emirates Group in Dubai as Regional CFO for dnata Airport Operations across North and South America.

  • Andrew Kennedy is joining Accor as Vice President, Global Franchise Growth for Premium, Midscale & Economy.

  • Michael Fallon is joining YOTEL as VP of Development, North America.

  • Sandy Narvaez has been named Chief Commercial Officer of the Hawaiʻi Visitors and Convention Bureau, effective 16 November 2026.

  • Rohit Lall has been appointed Chief Commercial Officer at Delhi International Airport Limited, effective November.

  • Helen Dolce-Lund has been promoted to Vice President of Brand at P&O Cruises.

  • Raphael Girardoni will step into a new role as Vice President, Culinary Strategy & Operations at American Airlines.

  • Matt Goldberg will step down as President and CEO of Tripadvisor and leave the board, remaining CEO through 16 February 2027 to ensure an orderly transition. CFO Michael Noonan is resigning to pursue another opportunity and will stay through 31 December, with Chief Strategy and Operations Officer Kristen Dalton becoming interim CFO from January.

This week's people moves shaping the industry. Email us about a move.

Skift Executive Search connects travel-related companies with top-tier talent, ensuring the right leadership is in place to drive innovation and growth. See our case studies.