Airbnb co-founder and CEO Brian Chesky has a bold solution to the growing problem of overtourism: don’t limit travelers, spread them out. He shared his insights during a recent conversation with Skift co-founder Rafat Ali at the Skift Forum in New York. Chesky explained that overtourism arises when too many people descend on the same destination at once, overwhelming local communities and creating a less than ideal experience for tourists. He proposes that distributing travelers across different dates and locations could significantly alleviate this issue.
“I think the holy grail for overtourism is redistribution of travel,” Chesky stated. “But that requires us, the travel industry, to inspire more long-tail destinations.” He highlighted Airbnb’s innovative marketing strategies, particularly the Icons program, as a tool for achieving this redistribution. The program involves partnering with popular movies and TV shows to create unique Airbnb experiences in lesser-known destinations. “Icons are a great way to go into international markets,” Chesky said. “We’ve got Janhvi Kapoor, one of the biggest Bollywood actresses in the world, and that was massive in India.”
While Airbnb has faced challenges in China, Chesky remains optimistic about the company’s future in the region. He emphasized that Airbnb is focused on attracting Chinese travelers to other countries and has shut down its domestic business in China to dedicate resources towards this goal.
Chesky’s comments point towards a shift in the way we think about tourism. Instead of simply reducing the number of travelers, the focus is on creating a more sustainable and equitable travel experience by spreading out the impact of tourism. This approach not only benefits local communities but also enriches the travel experience for visitors by exposing them to new and diverse destinations.
