Airbnb Banks on Tour de France Deal to Boost French Market, Eyes Luxury Experiences

5/27/2025

Airbnb said on Thursday that a new partnership with the Tour de France will boost its rental business across rural France, as it seeks to build on the success of last year's Paris Olympics in Paris at a time of lower demand in the United States. The company this month forecast softening demand in its top market, while number two France, where locals account for about 70% of bookings, is seeing "very healthy" growth, co-founder and CEO Brian Chesky said in an interview. The partnership comes after the platform recorded 700,000 bookings during the four-week period of the Olympic Games, exceeding expectations. It has maintained the roughly 120,000 listings reached in the French capital last year but says it can do more in less populated areas across the country, including many of the stops along the Tour de France.

Reuters (05/22/25) Dominique Patton