Airbnb Inc is expanding its ambitions beyond vacation rentals as it seeks to become the “Amazon for travel services,” with plans to bring independent hotels onto its platform and deepen its presence in India, Chief Executive Brian Chesky said in an interview with CNBC-TV18.
The San Francisco-based company, which built a travel empire by leveraging people’s homes, spare bedrooms and holiday properties, is now focusing on becoming a one-stop shop for global travel. Chesky said Airbnb aims to capture a larger share of the travel services economy, which he believes could eventually rival the retail sector in scale.
India, one of the world’s fastest-growing travel markets, is central to that vision. Chesky said the country is a “big bet” for Airbnb and could soon become its largest market, as