Wall Street Is Starting to Believe Airbnb's Growth Story

Skift Take

The bank's thesis that Airbnb's "Acceleration is here to stay" is a bold statement. The potential is there. Focus and execution will be all-important.

Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky told an audience at Skift Global Forum last September that he was "not happy" with the company's growth pace: "I think the company should be growing significantly faster," he said. "It should at least be growing in the teens."

Nearly a year later, Bernstein analysts argue Airbnb may be getting there — and staying there. In a research note Monday titled "Airbnb: Acceleration Is Here to Stay," analyst Richard Clarke and two colleagues wrote that with management now guiding to a fifth consecutive quarter of roughly 10%-plus room-night growth, "investors are increasingly accepting that the acceleration is structural rather than transitory."

The researchers tied the potential upside to Reserve Now, Pay Later; the introduction of a single fee model for hosts; dynamic pricing; hotel expansion; AI search, loyalty, sponsored listings, adding ancillaries, and growth in Asia.

Some investors still don't view Airbnb's current 13% revenue g

Reporting originally appeared via Skift Travel News. Read the full source for additional context.