Wall Street Is Finally Buying Into Airbnb's Growth Story

0:10A familiar face may be heading back to run NYC tourism. Wall Street is buying into Airbnb's growth story, and South Korea's budget airlines are preparing to merge into one giant. Welcome back to the Skip Daily Briefing. This is Bailey Schulz, Skip's global tourism reporter. It's Wednesday, August 26. Let's get into it. First up, sources tell Skip that Brand USA CEO Fred Dixon is in advanced talks to return to NYC tourism and conventions. The organization's finance committee has already approved a compensation package and its board has ratified the offer. Sources tell Skip that Brand USA CEO Fred Dixon is in advanced talks to return to NYC tourism and conventions.

0:45The organization's finance committee has already approved a compensation package and its board has ratified the offer. The appointment isn't yet final, but one source familiar with negotiations called a quote, a done deal. Dixon spent nearly 20 years at NYC Tourism before he made the jump to Brand USA in 2024. Since then, the nation's DMO has seen federal funding slash 80 % and laid off about 15 % of staff. But Dixon won't be able to shake budget constraints at NYC Tourism. The organization has been pressing the city for more funding as it deals with a stubborn slump in international visitors.

1:14Next up, Airbnb's growth story is starting to win over skeptics. Bernstein analysts say the company is now guiding toward a fifth straight quarter of double-digit roommate growth, and they're calling the acceleration structural rather than transitory. Some of the drivers include ReserveNowPayLater, a shift to a single fee structure to boost Airbnb's take rate, and dynamic pricing. Shares are up more than 25 % since the day prior to Airbnb's second quarter earnings. Not everyone is fully convinced. Much of this growth depends on products that haven't launched yet, like AI Search, and increased regulation is still a risk.

1:46The Bernstein argues that Airbnb's core homes business has room to grow. Finally, Gin Air, Airbusan, and AirSoul have agreed to merge into a single carrier under the Gin Air name, creating the country's largest budget airline by fleet size, with 58 aircraft. The combined airline is set to start operating in March of 2027, pending approvals. The goal is efficiency. One fleet, one tech platform, one corporate structure, but not necessarily more flights. The merger marks another step toward a more concentrated Korean aviation market, leaving the country the dominant full-service flag carrier, a powerful low-cost affiliate, and a smaller cluster of independent challengers.

2:20That's it for the Skift Daily Briefing. For more industry news, head to skift.com and sign up at skift.com backslash daily.