Latest news with #AirbnbKorea
Korea Herald
6 days ago
- Business
- Korea Herald
Airbnb CEO seeks closer ties with K-pop group Seventeen
In short-term lodging, experience could matter just as much or more than the spaces themselves, which is why a collaboration with a K-pop group such as Seventeen is so beneficial, according to Airbnb co-founder and CEO Brian Chesky. At a press conference in Seoul on Wednesday, the vacation rental website CEO recalled working with K-pop group Seventeen last year, a project Chesky said had proved to be hugely popular with not only Seventeen fans, but Airbnb travelers as a whole, because of the unique experience it offered. The collaboration involved locations that had appeared in Seventeen music videos. "We plan to roll out Seventeen-themed Airbnb programs at major cities," Chesky said at the conference, which followed a meet-and-greet event for 60 preselected Seventeen fans where the K-pop act were one-day-only special Airbnb hosts, celebrating the group's 10th anniversary together with fans. "Seventeen Airbnb Experience," as the fan gathering was called, was a demonstration of "Airbnb Originals," a celebrity-hosted exclusive experience that is part of "Airbnb Experiences," an ambitious program Airbnb launched in May to focus on unique activities run by local hosts. The program is to help travelers truly experience their local surroundings with local hosts who know just how to do so, according to Chesky. "The biggest asset in people's lives is really not their home — it's their time. What if people could share not only their space, but their time with someone else?" Chesky asked. The latest trip to Seoul by the Airbnb CEO is part of his global tour to promote Airbnb Experiences. Chesky has made stops at Paris, Berlin, Milan and Tokyo. The CEO emphasized that Seoul is a strategic market he personally finds deeply inspirational. According to Airbnb Korea, bookings on the platform in the country last year soared 20 percent from the previous year. The makeup of international visitors to South Korea is increasingly becoming diverse, the company added without elaboration.
Korea Herald
08-03-2025
- Business
- Korea Herald
Airbnb hosts discuss empowering women
Women who hosted guests on home-sharing platform aid speak of rewarding experiences Hosting Airbnb travelers at home is not just a financially rewarding experience for women taking time away from their careers, it's a way to better reconnect with society, according to women who recently recounted their experiences hosting on the platform. 'I had always thought I was good at my work until I quit my fashion merchandising job to look after my children. I wanted to feel alive again, so I jumped at the first chance on Airbnb,' said Kim Mi-ae at a roundtable talk this week in Seoul. Kim, 53, is one of 40 applicants who took part in a program launched last year by the city-run Seoul Foundation of Women & Family Organization for women looking to reboot after leaving their careers for reasons such as parenting or retirement. The program -- jointly run with Airbnb Korea, a home-sharing platform -- was a turning point, said Cha Min, a yoga instructor who says she teaches not only yoga but also the Korean language to travelers staying at her home. 'The most rewarding thing of all in hosting random guests at home is building a rapport with them and seeing myself change in the process,' the 41-year-old said, adding, 'I recently taught a Japanese traveler some basic Korean, and I still help her learn Korean online.' Teaching yoga and Korean, Cha said, has helped broaden her horizons. She said her way of looking at life has changed, emboldened by positive feedback from the travelers she has hosted so far. 'Now I just find this zeal, enthusiasm,' Cha said of how she stays motivated to plan in advance what she wants to do not just for months, but for years to come. She said she eventually wants to run themed tours that incorporate her yoga skills. Kim Hyun-sook, the oldest of the three women hosts at Wednesday's talk, said she didn't have time to feel disconnected from society when she retired from her job as she quickly transitioned to hosting and doubling as a tour guide, a job she had previously held for 25 years. Kim arranges tours of the Seoul Museum of History for her guests for free. 'And I feel proud of what I do. I can see they're satisfied with what I give them. What more can you ask for?' The latest talk took place to mark International Women's Day on Saturday. Seo Ga-yeon, Airbnb Korea country manager, said the platform company remains committed to empowering women, who make up half of all its hosts, both globally and locally. 'I myself am a working mother. I know what a challenge that is,' Seo said.
