Explain It in 30 Seconds
A host creates an activity.
Airbnb evaluates and distributes it.
A guest discovers and books a seat.
EXPERIENCE HOST
creates activity
↓
AIRBNB
vets, displays, sells and supports booking
↓
GUEST
books seat
↓
EXPERIENCE OCCURS
↓
AIRBNB
collects host feeFor Experiences, Airbnb says it earns a host fee rather than a guest service fee. [S1]
Where Experiences Sits in Airbnb
│ └── Homes / Hotels
├── Do
│ └── Experiences
└── Help / enhance
└── Services
This position matters because Airbnb already acquires guests for accommodation.
Experiences gives the company another transaction opportunity within the same trip.
The Problem Experiences Solves
Travelers often face a discovery problem after they arrive:
What is worth doing here?
Traditional options include:
- tour companies;
- attraction websites;
- concierge desks;
- activity marketplaces;
- local recommendations.
Airbnb tries to make local activities:
trusted
integrated with the trip
How It Works — Simple Version
Host side
A prospective Experience host proposes an activity.
Airbnb reviews Experiences and sets quality expectations.
Guest side
The guest can discover Experiences through Airbnb alongside travel planning.
Transaction
The guest books a seat.
A seat counts toward Airbnb's Nights and Seats Booked metric. [S1]
Monetization
Airbnb's 2025 filing says the company earns a host fee on Experiences. [S1]
The 2025 Redesign
Experiences were not new in 2025.
The important event was a redesign and relaunch.
Airbnb said the relaunched Experiences were available in 650 cities and emphasized local hosts and curated quality. [S8]
The strategic change was to make Experiences a central part of the app rather than a peripheral travel add-on.
2026 Expansion
In Q2 2026 Airbnb said Experiences supply increased nearly 80% year over year. [S10]
The company also expanded categories around:
- landmarks;
- food culture;
- major events;
- FIFA World Cup experiences.
That suggests the marketplace is being built around both evergreen local supply and high-demand events.
Who Uses Experiences?
Hosts
Hosts can be:
- local experts;
- chefs;
- artists;
- guides;
- creators;
- organizations.
Guests
Guests are travelers or local participants looking for bookable activities.
Event partners
Major events can create special inventory and concentrated demand.
What Experiences Depends On
Quality
A poor activity can damage trust in the wider Airbnb brand.
Local host supply
An Experience marketplace needs enough distinctive activities in each destination.
Discovery
Guests must see Experiences at the right moment in trip planning.
Safety and liability
Experiences create physical-world risk.
AirCover for Hosts includes liability coverage for Experiences & Services, subject to terms and local availability. [S11]
What Depends On Experiences?
Experiences supports Airbnb's broader expansion thesis:
one accommodation booking
↓
relationship with traveler
↓
additional trip transactionsIf Airbnb can create meaningful Experience demand, it increases the number of reasons a traveler opens the app before and during a trip.
Why Experiences Matters to Airbnb
Experiences can change Airbnb's economics in three ways.
More marketplace categories
Airbnb can monetize a trip beyond the night.
More host types
People without a property can become Experience hosts.
More local supply
Airbnb can create differentiated inventory that is not simply another hotel or rental listing.
However, Experiences remains much smaller than the stay business.
That is why the product should be understood as a strategic expansion, not as a replacement for accommodation.
Key Milestones
2016 — Experiences introduced
Airbnb begins a meaningful move beyond accommodation.
2025 — Experiences redesigned
The product is relaunched as one of three top-level app categories alongside Homes and Services. [S8]
2026 — Supply expands quickly
Airbnb reports nearly 80% year-over-year supply growth in Q2. [S10]
What Most People Misunderstand
"Airbnb Experiences launched in 2025."
No.
2025 was a redesign and relaunch.
"Experiences is the same business as Homes."
The marketplace mechanics are related, but the underlying supply is different.
Homes sell nights.
Experiences sell seats.
"Airbnb charges the guest the same service-fee model as a stay."
Airbnb's 2025 filing says it earns a host fee for Experiences. [S1]
Common Questions
What counts as an Airbnb Experience?
A bookable activity offered through Airbnb and hosted by a provider that meets Airbnb's requirements.
Does a person need a home to host an Experience?
No.
Experience supply is separate from home supply.
How does Airbnb measure Experiences?
A participant booked into an Experience counts as a seat in Nights and Seats Booked. [S1]