San Francisco, May 7, 2026, 14:04 PDT
Airbnb lifted its 2026 revenue outlook on Thursday, following a first-quarter surge in bookings. The company pointed to robust demand across the Americas and firmer pricing, which it says are making up for travel turbulence caused by conflict in the Middle East. Annual revenue growth is now projected in the “low to mid teens,” topping the previous forecast of at least low double digits. Airbnb Newsroom
Timing is a factor here. As the crucial summer travel stretch approaches, companies are already contending with airspace closures and suspended routes, while would-be travelers are pulling back on bookings. Airbnb has reported higher-than-usual cancellations across Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia Pacific, projecting a hit to second-quarter Nights and Seats Booked growth—down about 100 basis points, or a full percentage point, due to the conflict.
Airbnb’s raised outlook sets it apart from certain travel rivals—demand is robust enough for the company to hike guidance rather than simply hold the line. Bloomberg data shows analysts were betting on roughly 12% revenue growth in 2026, which comes in under Airbnb’s newly announced low-to-mid-teens percentage range.
Revenue jumped 18% to $2.678 billion for the quarter ended March 31. Net income landed at $160 million, or 26 cents per diluted share. Adjusted EBITDA came in 24% higher at $519 million. Gross booking value rose 19% to $29.2 billion, while Nights and Seats Booked ticked up 9% to 156.2 million.
The numbers came in uneven compared to Wall Street’s forecasts. Analysts surveyed by Investor’s Business Daily had been looking for 30 cents per share in earnings and $2.62 billion in revenue. Airbnb missed on profit per share but delivered stronger revenue, with gross bookings topping projections as well.
Airbnb is projecting second-quarter revenue between $3.54 billion and $3.60 billion, an increase of 14% to 16% from last year. The company expects its full-year adjusted EBITDA margin to hit at least 35%. Marketing, international growth and AI remain spending priorities.
Demand came from a mix of sources, but the trends stood out. Nights booked via Airbnb’s own app jumped 22%, now representing 63% of all bookings—an increase from 58% last year. First-time bookings climbed 10%, marking the fastest growth rate since early 2022. The company highlighted Brazil, Japan, and India as particular strengths. About one-fifth of global gross booking value used Reserve Now, Pay Later.
North America delivered high-single-digit gains in Nights and Seats Booked. In Latin America and Asia Pacific, growth came in at the high teens. Europe, the Middle East and Africa saw mid-single-digit growth, though cancellations related to the conflict pulled results lower for the quarter. The average daily rate climbed 9% to $187, supported by price hikes and favorable currency moves.
The risk here isn’t minor. Airbnb is counting on strong pricing, tweaks to payments, and steady demand out of the Americas, even as the conflict keeps weighing on cross-border bookings. Later this year, year-over-year numbers get harder after the prior launch of Reserve Now, Pay Later. The company flagged the ongoing Middle East conflict as a persistent drag, too.
Other travel firms aren’t escaping the squeeze. Expedia CEO Ariane Gorin told Reuters the company started noticing fallout from the conflict in March, with cancellations cropping up across both Europe and Asia. Booking Holdings CFO Ewout Steenbergen also flagged turbulence beyond the Middle East, pointing to disrupted routes linking Europe and Asia. Booking’s forecast is already down—now expecting annual revenue growth in the high single digits.
Airbnb’s ambitions now stretch past just home stays. The company says it’s experimenting with services and experiences in a handful of cities and boosting its boutique and independent hotel inventory. For the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Airbnb has more than 100,000 homes listed across all 16 host cities—a first since October.
